By Haley Rose

A new light at the end of the tunnel for a local business

Jan 18, 2017 | 6:41 AM

CYPRESS COUNTY, AB –  A local family is heartbroken after their business went up in flames Wednesday morning.

The Cypress County Fire Department responded to a fire at the Sheer Insanity Monster Truck shop. Though crews were able to extinguish the blaze, the monster trucks and the shop were completely destroyed.

Kathy Wills, who drove the TNT and Sheer Insanity Monster Trucks at events around the community, was alerted to the fire by her dog Wednesday morning. When Wills called 911, the shop was completely engulfed.

Fire crews had to deal with high winds as they battled the blaze. Nobody was injured in the fire, though Wills said two cats who lived in the shop were not accounted for.
“My first thought, I have two shop cats who have been in the shop since the day we bought the property; we adopted them from the SPCA,” she said. “I don’t think that they made it out, that was my first thought.”

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The fire is under investigation, but Wills says the fire is not believed to be suspicious.

The trucks were a staple in the community for the past decade, and was getting ready to make appearances at events when the fire happened. Wills says the shop and the items inside are covered by their insurance, but there was no insurance on the monster trucks.

“It has been 10 years of working really hard to build up the shop to what we needed and the monster trucks, all the blood, sweat and tears for years and years and years have gone into it,” she said. “It’s all gone.”

Wills added she has received hundreds of calls from fans in the region and around North America to offer their sympathy.

“I’m truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and sympathy,” she said. “It really means a lot and we really do appreciate it.”

A close friend of the family, Gary Strugari, decided he wanted to give back to the couple after seeing how they touched the commuity after so many years.

Strugari has worked with the couple for many years, subletting auto mechanic work for them and ocasionally driving their monster truck. 

He said he remembers the moment he got the call about what had happened. 

“When I got the phone call I drove out right away and was just devastated to see the extent of what it was so quick.” 

Wednesday night he decided to set up a GoFund me account in an attempt to help the couple rebuild their business. 

“It’s great to be able to give back to someone who has given the the communtiy on an ongoing basis like Ged and Kathy have,” he said. 

He said he hopes to the account will raise $100,000. 

Donations can be made by searching Sheer Insanity Monster Truck Racing on the GoFund me website.