Tributes continue to pour in for a family who lost three sisters in a tragic farming accident on Tuesday evening.
A 13-year-old girl and two 11-year-old twins died in a grain truck after they were buried by canola seed at their family farm in Withrow, Alberta.
On Tuesday night a vigil was held at a church in Withrow, near the family farm. Nearly two hundred people showed up to pay their respects, which is about twice the size of the church’s regular congregation.
“Roger and Bonita have been part of this church and their children have been born and raised attending here,” said pastor Brian Allan at the service.
“Absolutely there was sorrow, but there was peacefulness as people were praying,” said Allan. “It was really quite a beautiful night.”
As of Thursday afternoon, a GoFundMe page set up by family-friends Dave Brand and Pam Koenig had raised nearly $60,000.
“This fund has been created with the blessing of the Bott family, through friends and neighbours,” they wrote on the page.
A trust fund has also been set up at the Eckville Credit Union where Bonita Bott used to work.
“It's completely overwhelming. I wouldn't have guessed that the response from people in general would be so generous,” said Mitch Krescy, general manager of the credit union.
On Wednesday afternoon, farmers from the area finished harvesting the Bott family’s canola crop.
Bott Family Trust Fund
Eckville Savings & Credit Union
Email Money Transfer to: clitke@alberta-cu.com
Security Question: Bott
With files from CTV’s Bill Fortier
