Billy Martin
Owner, Sweet Meats; Community Fundraiser
CLASS OF 2019
, AGE 37
Billy Martin is the kind of volunteer who saves lives.
In 2014, he worked tirelessly to raise $40,000 for a campaign called Chloe's Miracle Trip to Newfoundland. Those funds were used to fly a four-year-old girl named Chloe with a rare form of cancer across the country to Newfoundland to meet her entire family.
Unfortunately, Chloe passed away during the journey. Deeply affected by this loss, Martin swore he wouldn't get involved in another campaign. Then he met Lily Morgan, a local Fort McMurray girl with a congenital heart condition.
In 2018, Martin raised $350,000 and, with a team of contractors, rebuilt the Morgan home in only nine days. With the state of their home improved, the family was able to put their full attention on Lily's health, and she hasn't had problems since.
Of course, Martin didn't stop there. He proceeded to use the same team of contractors to work together and rebuild Paddy McSwiggins - a Fort McMurray institution - in 2019.
When he isn't volunteering his time to change lives, Martin is also owner and operator of Sweet Meats, a sandwich shop in Fort McMurray. With two locations within the city, Sweet Meats has quickly become a local favourite.
What Martin loves about Fort McMurray and its surrounding communities is the work ethic and generosity of the people who live here.
"The people make this region as beautiful as any place you would find in Canada. We may not have mountains or oceans, but the giving nature of this place makes up for that and then some," said Martin.
