Hello! My name is Laura, and I’m helping put this fundraiser together for my dear friends, Dave and Cindy Boehm.

The Boehms are incredibly special, and as I sit here trying to write this, I’m finding it difficult to describe them. If you’re lucky enough to have met them, you’ll likely know what I mean – their love of adventure, their zest for life, their boundless energy, their faith, and their ability to keep going through health issues and everything else life has thrown at them over the last decade aren’t just personality traits – it extends over into everything they do. From their relationships with their family and friends, to the beautiful home they created, everything is an outpouring of their hearts and souls, and you could feel that the second you stepped onto their property.

They purchased their home in Faulder when their now adult children were all still toddlers. They built outbuildings, created a garden, expanded and renovated the original house, and put work into creating miles of bike and hiking trails all over the mountains that surrounded their home. Over the years, their house became a sanctuary, and has served as a landing place for family and friends alike, with an easy-going open door policy that was as welcoming as Dave and Cindy’s smiles.

That home was destroyed by the fast moving wildfire that hit Faulder and Summerland on Friday night. It started just down the road from their house, at a beautiful biking trail they’d ridden many times, and within an hour flames were literally licking at their door. Everything is completely gone – the house, outbuildings, and over 35 years of memories. In addition, their youngest son, daughter-in-law, and their three children were living with them, and they have also lost everything.

While there is no replacing everything, we’re trying to pull together support to help Dave and Cindy as they get their feet back under them and start to rebuild. Dave had his business on the property, and is also facing a loss of income. We’re fundraising to try to cover rent and their first few months of basic expenses while they replace necessities and figure out what life looks like from here. This wildfire was devastating to a huge portion of the Okanagan, and our hope is that we can give them some room to breathe and focus on their family while Faulder and Summerland slowly return to a new normal.