TRAIL — Air Canada remains silent while good hearts in Trail and Greater Area are beating loud.
Early last Wednesday morning the phone started ringing at the Trail Times following the previous day’s story about Dan Ervin, a Trail man and renal patient who waited six years for a call that a new kidney was only hours away.
(Oct. 31, “Trail kidney patient faces undue hardship awaiting Air Canada refund.”)
Sadly, Dan’s kidney transplant was cancelled right before he boarded an Air Canada flight on Sept. 2. Since that day he’s been waiting for a $323.53 Air Canada refund, which is causing undue stress because the money was on loan from a senior friend.
Goodwill calls to the Times began bright and early last Wednesday.
First on the line seeking to help Dan, was a member of the former Golden Nugget Saloon in Rossland. Right after that conversation, came the call from an 88-year old Trail man with a very distinguished English accent. He chose to remain anonymous after voicing concern for Dan, and said “I don’t want to interfere with his life, I just want to help him out … the money is sitting in the bank doing nothing.”
The Trail Times told the gentleman that a call had already come in regarding Dan, then he quickly replied, “If he has any troubles, call, and we’ll sort it out.”
The phone rang again later that day, a member the Kiwanis Club of Trail said helping community, like Dan, is what the Kiwanis are all about.
Jim Albo, from the Rossland group, met with other members last Wednesday night to put forth his proposal to help Dan.
“I thought we should at least cover the money that Dan hasn’t been able to recover yet from Air Canada,” Jim told the Trail Times last Thursday. “We’ve done this for years, helped out families and individuals, so here is our opportunity,” he added. “So now I will phone him and tell him we are willing to do this and see what he has to say.”
The Golden Nugget gang poured their hearts out at Golden City Days for 25 years, their last saloon run was in 1997. Since that time, with money raised during the annual Alpine City celebration, members have been quietly giving back to locals in need.
Whether it be a family who needed money to fly a sick child to Vancouver, a lady who had her Christmas present money stolen, or someone injured in an accident — there’s too many instances to list — the Golden Nuggets have stepped to the plate to the tune of more than $100,000 over the years.
“We just wanted to feel like we are helping individuals,” Jim shared. “We don’t put it out there that this is what we do. But when you live in a community like I have all my life, and most our fellows are the same way as me, you hear of people struggling that could use some help.”
It’s kind of nice to be able to say, ‘Here this is for you,’ Jim said.
“And in Dan’s case it might ease his problems a little bit or take the pressure off him to pay back his friends.”
With that off his mind, then it’s a waiting game for an Air Canada refund.
“You know what these bureaucracies are like,” Jim said. “But then you can hope that only good things will come Dan’s way, not just with a few dollars, but with a new kidney.”
