The St. Laurent community is stepping up to support a young mom who is grieving the loss of her partner and their baby boy.
Leann Langelier of St. Laurent recently lost her 29-year-old partner Jacob and their 14-month-old son Riftyn in a two-vehicle collision in the RM of Woodlands. On Jan. 25, the father and son died when they collided with a semi on Highway 6. The semi driver was treated for minor injuries. RCMP said extremely icy road conditions were a main factor.
A GoFundMe page raised nearly $54,000 to help pay for funeral costs and other expenses. According to the page, Langelier had just started a new career as an early childhood educator but doesn’t quality yet for benefits or leave.
The St. Laurent Fire Department also hosted a fundraising event in support of Langelier and her young daughter Teagan, who is mourning her dad and brother.
Initially, they had planned a community pancake breakfast to acknowledge National Burn Awareness Week. When they decided to turn the event into a fundraiser for the family, the local community was quick to rally for the cause.
“Needless to say, this community and surrounding communities poured out their hearts and their generosity with a very successful GoFundMe fundraiser. It only took our department a moment to turn our event into a fundraiser,” said Susan Gareau, a public education officer with the St. Laurent Fire Department.
“We added a 50/50 draw to the morning event that raised $1,224, with $612 going to the winner and another $612 to Leann. The voluntary ‘Fill the Boot’ breakfast donation raised $3,316.50. All told, we were able to present Leann with $3,928.50.”
Gareau also acknowledges everyone who helped make the fundraiser a success.
“We were not alone in this endeavour as our Interlake Packers donated all the breakfast sausages, and our venue at the Parish Hall was also donated. A huge heartfelt thank-you goes out to them. We would also like to thank the members whose partners helped out during the breakfast,” she said.
“The community turnout was wonderful, and it was nice to see the visiting going on within the hall.”
At the same time, the event raised awareness for National Burn Awareness Week, which ran from Feb. 4 to 10.
“The burn awareness aspect of the morning breakfast was ongoing with fire extinguisher education going on outside. With the use of a training tool called A Burn Pan, our members can control the propane flame as the person learns how to handle the fire extinguisher to ‘put out’ the fire,” Gareau said.
“Inside, the colouring corner was a busy place and a hit with the kids.”
Follow the St. Laurent Fire Department’s Facebook page to keep up to date with the latest news and events.
Tribune Photos by Susan Gareau
