With fires ravaging the Fort McMurray area this month, assistance has come from all corners and in many forms.

The helping hand has extended to the world of football and the Fort McMurray Monarchs, a team in the men’s amateur Alberta Football League.

On the eve of a new season, the Monarchs were forced from their home and left wondering if they’d be able to take the field in 2016. That’s when the rest of the football community answered the call.

A high school in Leduc is allowing the Monarchs to use their field as a temporary new home.

The Edmonton Raiders, an expansion team in the AFL, held a fundraiser and the other seven teams have also pitched in. The league has waived the franchise’s fees for 2016.

Groups and teams have offered equipment including the Calgary Stampeders.

“Like the Roughnecks wearing ‘Alberta Strong’ stickers on their helmets, this is just another example of how the teams in Calgary can support Fort McMurray in a very difficult time,” said Stampeders senior director of business operations Mike Franco. “We want to do this on behalf of all of Southern Alberta.”

“I wish I could explain how many hours we put into this,” Monarchs team president and player Jesse Maddox told Fort McMurray Today. “We figured we could piece a few things together with the support of some teams.

“There will be a lot of obstacles ahead of us and we may have a tough first month, but we’re hoping by August to play our last home game of the year at Shell Place.”