Fundraiser for family of missing woman Christine Wood brings out hundreds

A community fundraiser in Thompson, Man., brought out hundreds of people Friday afternoon to raisemoneytosupport Christine Wood's family.

Wood, 21, went missing nearly a month ago in Winnipeg while visiting with family from Oxford House First Nation.

The Keewatin Tribal council hosteda silent auction, bake sale and hotdog lunch to bring in much needed dollars for Wood's parents, who have been staying and searching for their daughter in Winnipeg for weeks.

"We take it close, anything that happens. It affects us right away," said Ken Bighetty, who works with the Keewatin Tribal Council in Thompson, a neighbouring community to Oxford house..

While he doesn't know the Woods personally, he said he feels for the family as he knows other families of missing and murdered indigenous women in northern Manitoba. He said the fundraiser was organized jointly between the KTC and the Chief of Oxford House First Nation for Wood's family.

"Their circle will eventually hit our circle. We feel that kind of a reverberation...we feel it," he said."We know how much it costs because you can't go next door and knock on the door and they can bring stuff over. In urban areas, you're pretty much isolated and you're kind of reliant on the services, of either the food and the hotel," he added.

Winnipeg Police continue to investigate Wood's disappearance. A spokesperson saidthere have been reported sightings, but none have been confirmed.

Bighetty saidmany in communities across northern Manitoba are keeping Wood and her family in their thoughts.

"First of all just to find her. Hopefully to be found alive. And also to pray for the father and mother and all the siblings," he added.

"When something like this happens, it just brings people together. Sometimes it's negative but it does bring people together."