Drew Hamilton stared out his bedroom window in shock at the burned ruins that had once been his local chapel.
It was the morning of April 28, 2023, and the 15-year-old Latter-day Saint in Cherry Grove, Alberta, Canada, had woken to his mother telling him that their church building was no longer standing.
Later, Cherry Grove residents would learn that the fire broke out around 3:30 a.m., with fire trucks from surrounding towns arriving to assist by 4 a.m. Despite the best efforts of first responders, the building was declared a total loss, Alberta news site Lakeland Connect reported.
Almost a week later, a local man was arrested in connection with the fire and charged with arson, CTV News reported. But in the weeks that followed, Drew and his neighbors were still left with only the ashes of the church that had been, in many ways, the heart and soul of their community. Drew’s own ancestors had helped build that chapel. How could he help rectify this loss?