Boot full of generosity
Fire and police personnel collected more than $30,000 on Wednesday
for victims of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast area.
Burbank firefighters and police officers and representatives of
the American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles gathered in the
courtyard area outside the AMC Theaters for more than two hours
collecting donations placed inside firefighters’ boots.
“We had everything from handfuls of pennies to very large checks,”
Fire Department Capt. Ron Bell said. “We had handfuls of $20 bills.
It was amazing how generous people were.”
Police Lt. Rick Madrid extended a big thank you to all the people
who took time to donate money.
“When you see the devastation it’s just mind-boggling,” Madrid
said. “I don’t know how we would deal with something like that but
you pray to God there was someone there to watch your back.”
The amount of people and traffic in the area of San Fernando
Boulevard and Palm Avenue was higher than it would normally be with
people coming by to donate, Madrid said.
Firefighters planned to return to the theater courtyard on Friday
night, Bell said.
Donations will also be accepted at fire headquarters, at 3rd
Street and Orange Grove Avenue.
The Warner Bros. Fire Department planned a similar fundraising
campaign for the studio employees on Friday, Chief Don Biggs said.
“TimeWarner will match whatever the employees contribute,” Biggs
said.
The Burbank-based Islamic Relief USA is also accepting donations
for the hurricane victims.
To make a donation visit the organization’s website at
o7https://www.irw.org/katrina.
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