Pamela Burrill says if it wasn’t for the help of strangers, she wouldn’t be here today.
“As a domestic violence survivor, I know the feeling of having your life nearly taken and losing everything,” she says.
After hearing the story of Dawn Warden, an Airdrie woman who was violently attacked by her ex-boyfriend in June of 2019, Burrill knew she had to do something.
The Dawn Warden Support for Survivors Ride took place on Aug. 11, 2019 and raised nearly $18,000 for the cause.
“(Warden) had tears in her eyes because of how surrounded with love she felt and that reduced me to tears of joy as well,” says Burrill.
“It’s that feeling I love. When the community can come together to help one of their own, it is such wonderful show of humanity and solidarity.”
Burrill also volunteers for a number of organizations collecting items for women’s shelters, running clothing drives and providing support in court for women who are testifying against their abuser.
“She has taken her suffering and turned it into a success story, while having to open her own vulnerability and share her own experiences,” says Burrill’s friend Nicole Lacoursiere.
“She has such an open heart and mind and does anything she can to help others.”