A Facebook page has been set up to help raise funds for a woman whose car was destroyed in the Stanley Cup riot on June 15.
Michael Didyk, a longtime friend of Crystal Ratvay of Chilliwack, said he hopes to raise about $3,000 to replace Ratvay's 1990 Chevy Cavalier. The Facebook page is called "Tragic Riot Damage: Help Replace Crystal's Trashed Car."
"She's having a rough go ... I just wanted to do something to help," said Didyk, a former Abbotsford resident now living in Vancouver.
Ratvay, whose story was reported in the June 18th edition of the Abbotsford News, did not have comprehensive insurance on her vehicle, meaning repairs are not covered by ICBC.
Ratvay, 30, received the Cavalier from her aunt on the day of the riot. Her own vehicle had broken down a couple of months ago and she could not afford the approximate $2,500 in costs to repair it.
She suffers from post-traumatic migraine disorder – the effect of a serious 2005 car accident in which she was a passenger – and has difficulty working, although she is taking some classes at University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford.
Ratvay parked her car on Seymour Street in Vancouver, and then watched the Stanley Cup final with Didyk in his apartment on Homer Street. The two discovered later that night her car was one of the dozens that had been flipped and smashed during the riot.
Didyk said he first went online to post pictures of Ratvay's damaged vehicle and to ask whether anyone had other pictures or video of the perpetrators in hopes of identifying them and turning the information over to police.
A few people provided information and images, while others asked if they could do something to help Ratvay. This led to Didyk creating a Facebook page for just that purpose.
Didyk estimates that $500 in donations have come in so far, with another $500 pledged.
As well, two DJs who came across the page will be donating their fees from a show Monday night at The Cellar in Vancouver. The venue will also contribute cover proceeds.
For more information, visit the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/vancouver.riot.victim or contact Didyk at 604-308-8717 or michael@team2020.ca.