The Battlefords Food Bank is hailing long-time volunteer Gary Pattison as a hero.
Pattison is one of the volunteers featured by Kraft Canada as part of their Food Bank Hero Facebook campaign. Because of Pattinson's contribution to his local food bank, Kraft Canada has donated 1,000 jars of peanut butter to be used in the Battlefords Empty Stocking Fund Christmas hampers.
The following appears on the Kraft Canada Facebook page:
"Meet Gary, a food bank hero who knows first-hand the impact of the generosity of a community.
"Now 72, Gary often tells the story of the autumn day his life changed forever. When he was 23, he went on a heli-hunting trip in the mountains of British Columbia. Flying above the tree line, his helicopter crashed due to water in the fuel. As the chopper was going down, he bailed out, the pilot was thrown from the wreckage, and the other hunter was trapped as the helicopter caught on fire. With a broken back, Gary crawled to the flaming wreckage and freed the remaining hunter. He then slid 1,000 feet down the mountain to the trees in order to light a signal fire. Search and rescue crews arrived 38 hours after the crash.
"Gary spent 11 days in hospital, and due to his injuries, was unable to work for over a year. He and his family struggled to keep food on the table. With all their resources depleted, the holidays that year was an especially dark time. Then, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door when the local Christmas hamper group arrived with food and gifts for his family.
"Although it was almost 50 years ago, he still comments how he and his family faced hunger. He now drives the delivery truck for the Battlefords Food Bank, and is happy to repay the generosity of strangers in his community."
