Four days after Williams Lake was evacuated the owners of Dairy Queen decided they needed to return so they got a permit and opened their doors on Thursday, July 20.
“Some of the guys staying to work here are exhausted and beat,” said Janna Gertzen who co-owns the franchise with her sister Chrissie Gertzen. “We’ve got to get ‘em fed and back out there.”
On Monday afternoon the Gertzens’ father Randy was helping out and told the Tribune it has been a family effort all around.
“We have been extremely busy,” he said. “We are open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and are feeding anybody that can walk in.”
Every day, the restaurant is standing-room only Randy said as people from the military, RCMP, city and firefighters come in to eat.
Praising his daughters, Randy said they have donated ice cream cakes by the dozens.
Some have gone to the curling rink where Kim Judd and her crew are feeding firefighters from other jurisdictions, 60 in total have gone to the Cariboo Fire Centre, and some to the people manning checkpoints.
“Everybody’s doing their part,” Randy said. “We are doing ours.”
When asked if they’ve come up with a specially-named ice cream treat fitting to the the wildfire situation, Janna said they have not, but noted, “the flame-thrower burger is selling like mad.”