Community Corner

Locals Collecting Donations for Fallen Firefighters' Families

The Fork Foundation, a charitable organization centered around Pasadena's giant Fork in the Road art piece, is collecting donations Friday and Saturday for families of the several firefighters who recently died battling a Prescott Arizona wildfire.

Patch shared about the donations drive earlier this week and stopped by Friday afternoon at the tent set up at 200 Bellefontaine Street.

Volunteers from Pasadena Firefighters Local 809 and others started collecting donations at 7 a.m and will wrap up on Friday at 5 p.m. On Saturday the public can drop by from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

As of 2:20 pm, $1200 in donations had been collected, plus $100 given by a woman who drove by shortly after. Volunteer Gary Tutundjian ran out to cars with a firefighter's boot to collect donations.

"We're just warming up," Fork Foundation founder and local realtor Phil Coombes told Patch.

Since Friday is a work day, Coombes is hoping Saturday will be even busier.

The giant fork began as a prank pulled by an Altadena artist in honor of Altadena Coffee Gallery owner and Pasadena's Ice House founder Bob Stane. It has since become a symbol for giving as annual Put the Fork in Hunger food and toy drives are located at the giant tined utensil.

All photos by Jessica Hamlin.

Have you stopped by this donations drive? What do you think of this two-day collection for Arizona firefighters' families? Share in the comments.


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