Wash for a waitress

Luis Pena

More than two hundred people appeared on Sunday to raise more than

$9,800 by washing or getting their cars washed to help out Monique

Donovan, the 23-year-old Bandera restaurant waitress who was severely

injured last week in an automobile accident.

Jen Fenster, a waitress at Bandera, said that her friends and

co-workers got together to help Donovan pay her rent and to cover the

cost of her medical care since she has no insurance.

“She needs all the help that she can get,” said Adina Verdult, one

of Donovan’s roommates. “She doesn’t have medical insurance, bills

are piling up, and were all out here, coworkers and friends, washing

cars and taking all of the support then we can get.”

Friends and strangers have been donating funds to help pay

Donovan’s accumulating bills. A donation list was started to keep

track of those who were kind enough to donate money, some donating as

much as $500, but some refused to sign the list, which was more

charitable, Verdult said.

Paul Taylor of Corona del Mar, who dines at Bandera frequently,

came to the event not only to help out but to show support for the

injured waitress.

“This whole thing is amazing, the way people have turned out of

the woodwork,” said Brooke Gouin, another of Donovan’s roommates.

“People were giving money off the street, handing the girls $50 bills

without even caring about who she is -- even strangers. It’s

amazing.”

Donovan will be released from the hospital soon, but the injuries

she sustained will keep her from working for at least four months,

Gouin said.

Alex Sadk of Newport Coast, a longtime Bandera customer, said that

he wanted to help out somehow because Donovan had always given him

great service.

Carol Ward of Corona del Mar came to the fundraiser because her

daughter Hillary Ward had been an employee at Bandera.

“It’s wonderful to see all of the employees here doing such a

wonderful thing for obviously a wonderful person,” Ward said.

Erin Hosie of Corona del Mar was planning to get her car washed on

Sunday, but she saw the volunteers from the event with their posters

on the sidewalk and decided that taking her car to the event would be

a better way to spend her money. She said that it was nice to see so

many people getting together because they care about their friend.

Everything was going smoothly with the event and they were getting

plenty of cars when at 11:45 a.m., there was a fire at the Amir Rug

Gallery just down the street. Newport Beach Fire Department trucks

blocked traffic heading directly toward Bandera on East Coast

Highway.

“It seems to be slowing things down just a little bit,” said Bill

Coburn, one of the managers at Bandera.

Traffic was redirected and volunteers were quick to adjust to the

hurdle.

Frank Wilson of Corona del Mar didn’t know Donovan but felt

compelled to come to the event.

The traffic caused by the fire didn’t deter Marcia Fradkin from

Thousand Oaks, who was visiting family in Newport Beach.

“She needs help and were all part of the human family,” Fradkin

said.

Greg George of Corona del Mar felt compelled to show up because if

he were to meet a similar fate, then he would hope that people would

help him, he said.

Instead of heading back to the fire station after the flames were

put out at the rug store, Capt. Ron Gamble of the Newport Beach Fire

Department and his crew brought over their fire truck for a wash.

“We thought, since we’re out, got our job done there ... we’d just

try to help out someone here that needs all the help right now,”

Gamble said.

* LUIS PENA is the news assistant and may be reached at (949)

574-4298 or by e-mail at luis.pena@latimes.com.