Red Cross gathers donations for victims of local blazes
MARINA DEL RAY Just because the smoke has cleared, doesn’t mean there aren’t still folks in need of assistance following last month’s devastating wildfires, which burned more than 400,000 acres and destroyed or damaged more than 2,000 homes.
The Santa Monica Red Cross is teaming up with Pacific Adventure Cruises for a “Dockside Donation Drive,” this Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The donation drive, whose proceeds will benefit victims of the recent Southern California wildfires, will be accepting cash donations, canned food, canned or plastic contained beverages and Hefty trash bags, Donations will be collected aboard pacific Adventure Cruise’s newest vessel, Catalina Adventure, a hydrofoil-assisted catamaran that takes 20 passengers from the Marina to Catalina in 90 minutes.
“We wanted to provide a drop-off point that is convenient for people living on the Westside,” said Ken Lawrence, a captain with Catalina Adventure, which is located at 13717 Fiji Way, just behind the El Torito restaurant.
The Red Cross will take the donations and distribute them to those in need. Cash is preferred, said Marcia Caldirola, director of development for the Red Cross chapter, which hopes to raise $200,000 by the end of the weekend.
“We are still seeing families who are coming in with nothing,” Caldirola said. “Help is still needed so we can get these families back on their feet.”
In addition to helping with this disaster, Caldirola said donations are needed to prepare for the next disaster.
“We would really like people to consider giving to the Disaster Relief Fund,” Caldirola said. “What happens is a disaster occurs and we’ve used everything up. It’s like starting from scratch all over again. We always want to be on the prevention side and be stocked and ready to go.”
Following the fire, Red Cross chapters in Southern California served over 22,000 meals in San Diego County and over 95,500 in Los Angeles County. The Red Cross also distributed 5,550 comfort kits in Los Angeles and another 15,517 in San Diego. Comfort kits included things like Band-Aids, flashlights, lotion, antiseptic and eye drops.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 9, 2007. Read the original PDF.