When hundreds fleeing the Santiam Canyon wildfires arrived at the Oregon State Fairgrounds, Salem Franchisee Gurpreet “Raj” Kaur went to the evacuation site and asked the American Red Cross how he could help. They responded: masks, snacks and pet food for the evacuees who escaped the fast-moving fire with only the clothes they had on and their pets.
“Raj has the closest store to the emergency evacuation site and reacted immediately,” Market Manager Jason Mollet. “He let us know what was needed, donated food from his store and continued to look for ways to help.”
As a result of Raj’s request, 7-Eleven also donated 1,000 N-95 masks and delivered a truckload of water to a nearby community college serving as basecamp for fire fighters. Raj also donated snacks from his store, while the market continues to work to locate a source for the much-needed pet food.
“Raj jumped right in and has been looking for ways to help those waiting to see if they still have a home to go home to. He’s an outstanding example of what it means to do the right thing.”
“People are sleeping on cots and praying their homes are okay,” said Market Manager Heather Haak, who oversees a nearby market and whose own family was forced to leave their homes.
Thank you, Raj, for being a 7-Eleven Hero!
