Tea Fire victims get Horny Toad clothing

By COLBY FRAZIER

In a three-day span last week, Horny Toad apparel gave away more than 1,500 pieces of new clothing to 80 victims of the Tea Fire.

Horny Toad’s efforts to clothe those who lost everything during the blaze has complimented an outpouring of donated items from the community, but according to Tami Snow, the company’s communications director, there’s nothing like a brand new wardrobe.

“They can come in and pick out what they like and it’s new, it hasn’t been worn,” she said.

Because Horny Toad, which primarily distributes its clothing wholesale, doesn’t have any retail stores in Santa Barbara, Snow said boxes of clothes have taken over the company’s headquarters at 15 W. Mason St.

Snow said the makeshift store will be open Tuesday and Wednesday this week. She said Westmont College students whose dormitories burned are stopping by and any other Tea Fire victims looking for clothing are welcome as well.

Meredith Walter, whose apartment on East Mountain Drive was destroyed by the fire, said she showed up at Horny Toad last week and left with all the things she needed: jackets, sweaters and other warm clothing.

“The whole back room was filled with stuff,” Walter said. “They just said, ‘take whatever you need, don’t be shy,’ it was so great.

“It was just hundreds and hundreds of dollars of stuff.”

Since the fire left her homeless, Walter, a freelance photographer, said she’s been staying with friends in Ventura.

She said she didn’t have renter’s insurance and it’s yet to be seen if her landlord’s insurance will cover the $15,000 in camera equipment she lost in the fire.

Along with the shopping spree Walter went on at Horny Toad, she said she received a $500 debit card from a local company, shopping discounts at Macy’s and MacMechanic offered to help replace the power chords for her computer.

“The community’s been great,” she said.

Walter said she found out about many Tea Fire-related services through the Web site, www.teafire.ning.com. On the Web site, photographers are offering to take free family portraits and electricians and contractors are getting their names out for anyone ready to start rebuilding.

At Horny Toad, brainstorming about what the company could do to help Tea Fire victims started while the blaze, which ignited during heavy sundowner winds on Nov. 13, was still burning.

Snow said a bunch of clothes were stashed away in a storage unit in Goleta, and the easy part was deciding to give them away.

However, Snow said finding a venue to distribute the clothing was difficult.

She said the Salvation Army was only taking monetary donations and the American Red Cross wouldn’t allow them to set up shop at emergency shelters.

So Horny Toad employees began spreading the word through e-mail that clothing would be offered at the office.

“We just thought it was the right thing to do, honestly, so we did,” she said. “These people are our neighbors so we feel really fortunate we can help.”

Snow said it’s been difficult to see so many in the community lose everything they own — about 210 homes were lost in the blaze — and emotions continue to run high.

“I had one woman cry on me,” she said. “It’s just a hard process no matter who you are to [lose] everything.”

Snow said some people leave with 10 articles of clothing while others have left with upwards of 70.

“We’ve been very open to have them take whatever they like or need,” she said.

The office will be open to Tea Fire victims this Tuesday and Wednesday from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Horny Toad is located just off State Street behind the old Californian Hotel.

In the event one can’t swing by on these two days, Snow said Horny Toad is offering a discount code for Tea Fire victims that can be used to shop via the company’s Web site. The clothes won’t be free, but they’ll be offered at a “deep discount,” she said.

Snow also said Horny Toad’s local dealer, Santa Barbara Outfitters, is offering discounts to fire victims on Horny Toad clothing.

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HornyToad giveaway : 11/30/2008

That is just too too beautiful!!!

bibsoncape@comcast.net

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How can I add to my blog to help? : 12/2/2008

I want to help by adding this to my blog. What is the best way? My blog is called Randomly Wandering and the link is http://randomlywandering.blogspot.com. I have tried to add it so it shows on every page but apparently I don't know how. Help would be greatly appreciated.

Meesharie

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yasashi ne? : 12/4/2008

it amazes me at how kind people can be in our world today, even though we are all going through hard times due to the downfall of the economy. I hope our youth can learn from this and become good citizens in the future.

-anon

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