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.

f7