Like many Canadians, Ludovic Siouffi was sitting on his couch last weekend watching horrific images on television from the wildfire that swept through Fort McMurray.

It didn't take long for Siouffi, a Vancouver investment adviser at Canaccord Genuity, to realize that people who fled the northern Alberta city needed physical supplies.

"I didn't want to take away from what the Red Cross was doing collecting financial donations," Siouffi told the Georgia Straight by phone. "So I got a hold of the Edmonton Emergency Relief Society."

Staff there said evacuees were in desperate need of socks, underwear, toothpaste, tooth brushes, diapers, and diaper wipes. So Siouffi got on the phone to see what he could do to mobilize support.

"I have some great connections in the city and the most amazing friends," he said. "It seemed like the right thing to do."

This was the origins of the Vancouver Supports Fort McMurray donation drive, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday (May 14) and Sunday (May 15) at 88 Pacific Boulevard, a.k.a. Concord Pacific Place, in the big parking lots between Science World and the Plaza of Nations.

"We're really pushing hard on toiletries right now," Siouffi explained. "Clothing is great, but there's plenty of clothing already."

BigSteelBox has donated the use of two six-metre containers, which each hold 4,500 kilograms. According to Siouffi, the company has found a shipping partner who will transport the donated goods for free to Alberta to be distributed to Fort McMurray residents.

Siouffi said that Concord Pacific's Peter Udzenija has been enormously helpful in everything from publicizing the event to the logistics of receiving the containers and figuring out how to collect so many goods on-site.

In addition, Siouffi praised his business partner, Darcie Crowe, for picking up the slack at work while he spent so much time getting everything in place. And Kit & Ace has promised to donate 3,000 T-shirts, which will be dropped off on Saturday.

"It's really, really exciting to see Vancouver come together," Siouffi said. 

He encouraged anyone who wants to make a cash donation to do so through the Canadian Red Cross.

Anyone interested in volunteering their time should visit the Vancouver Supports Fort McMurray Facebook page.