The Elks Hall in Rosetown opened its doors to those in need of shelter during this weekend’s storm.
Kelli Emmons and her father received a call from a local resident explaining that all hotels in the area were booked solid and those in need of shelter wouldn’t have anywhere to stay. That's when they jumped into action and went around town letting all hotels and open businesses to send people their way.
In total they had somewhere between 20 and 30 people stay the night, including a hockey team that was passing through, and couldn’t risk traveling any further. The rest were people who had either hit the ditch, or couldn’t risk driving blindly into the snow.
The Elks Hall had all their facilities opened, and warm drinks flowing as everyone waited things out. In an interview, Emmons made it clear just why they opened the doors to those in need.
“I think it's just a small-town thing to do if someone is stranded and needs help, you just help them out.” said Emmons, exemplifying the small-town mindset that sets places like Rosetown apart.
When Emmons returned Sunday morning most people had either returned to their journey or were about to head off.
This isn’t the first time the Elks Hall has been opened to stranded travelers during a blizzard, as Emmons explained that the hall has been opened in previous years to shelter stranded travelers in similar situations.
Tue, May 14, 7:00 PM
