SPOKANE, Wash. — 12 local photographers will provide free mini family photo sessions for families who lost their homes to the August wildfires.<\/p>\n
The event takes place Sunday, October 11th at John A. Finch Arboretum from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hundreds of families had only minutes to evacuate in the Spokane firestorm.\u00a0 For some, the loss extended beyond their homes to irreplaceable family photos and memories.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“When it happened, I think like most of us in the area, we all started to think, what can I do?” said Alissa Ferguson, organizer and photographer for the Spokane Family Photo Project.<\/p>\n
The idea emerged from a desire to help families move forward after devastating losses.<\/p>\n
“Thinking of memories, lost photos, all those kinds of things… this was just sort of a thought of they can make new memories. They can have new photos to put up in their future home,” Ferguson said.<\/p>\n
Families who attend will check in upon arrival and be assigned a photographer for a 20-minute session. So far, 42 families have registered for the event, including Clint and Maribeth Watt, who lost their home in the Five Mile area.<\/p>\n
“To help us restart our own family memories again, I mean, it’s… it’s just a blessing. And I think it says a lot to how this community has showed up for us,” Maribeth Watt said.<\/p>\n
The event will also feature a coffee truck and snack cart for attendees. Organizers say there is still room for approximately 30 more families to participate.<\/p>\n