More Tea Fire fundraisers planned

By DAILY SOUND STAFF

With victims of the Tea Fire just beginning the recovery process, a series of fundraisers are being planned during the next few weeks to bolster community support.

On Friday, merchants from Montecito’s Upper Village will recognize firefighters and emergency response volunteers during a fundraising event at “The Fountain,” 1482 East Valley Rd.

Supervisor Salud Carbajal will join firefighters from the Montecito Fire Protection District and volunteers from the Montecito Emergency Response & Recovery Action Group for entertainment, refreshments and a raffle. The event takes place from 2 to 4 p.m. this Friday.

On Dec. 14, world-renowned pianist and composer Carter Larsen will perform at the Music Academy of the West to raise funds for the Santa Barbara chapter of the American Red Cross and the Santa Barbara Humane Society.

Organizers said 100 percent of the $50 admission fee per person will be split between the two nonprofit groups.

“Every disaster leads to a secondary necessity; to replace the coffers of key community organizations that help those in need during times like this, so that we can be ready for the next catastrophe,” Seth Streeter, president of Mission Wealth Management, which is hosting the event, said in a prepared statement.

He said this marks Larsen’s first performance in the Santa Barbara area. The event will feature a catered intermission and wine before the concert.

Larsen is coming off a tour of major cities in Europe and Asia, where he performed “Fantasia Suite,” a composition of more than 50 piano works.

“I’m excited to bring my body of work to the Santa Barbara community to both provide an escape and direct benefit to the families affected by the Tea Fire,” he said in a news release.

More information on the event, which takes place from 3 to 5 p.m., is available by calling 690-3840.

Finally, on Dec. 15, a movie benefit will be held to support the Lance and Carla Hoffman Trust — a fund dedicated to the couple badly injured while fleeing the Tea Fire.

Both are longtime employees of downtown Santa Barbara businesses. The Downtown Organization is joining the Metropolitan Theatres Corporation and Paseo Nuevo to hold the benefit at the Arlington Theatre.

Organizers will screen “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” in honor of Carla’s love for the movie, and all proceeds will go to the trust.

“While Lance and Carla continue to improve at the UC Irvine Regional Burn Center, they are still facing months of expensive recovery and rehabilitation,” Jennifer Rose, operations director for the Downtown Organization, said in a news release. “In hopes of assisting with their medical costs and to help them successfully return to live in the Santa Barbara area, the downtown business community is rallying around two of their longtime employees.”

The screening will take place at 7 p.m. and includes a free drawing for a Hawaiian vacation for all ticket holders. A chance to win airfare, a four-night hotel stay and a car voucher donated by Santa Barbara Travel Bureau is included in the $15 ticket price.

A limited number of $25 tickets will be sold that include the screening, drawing and a pre-move wine and appetizer reception in the Arlington Courtyard.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com, the Arlington Theatre Box Office, Paseo Nuevo management and Metro Entertainment beginning this afternoon. More information is available by calling 962-2098, ext. 10.

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Tea Fire Vitims : 12/4/2008

All well and good but where is the City in all this? The City has done next to NOTHING for the fire victims beyond setting up the usual disaster booths with talking heads and bottles of water. Having failed to protect our homes from the fire, the City has done nothing to help remove the rubble and debris from the site of what was our home (as was done after the Painted Cave fire). To add insult to injury, I was just required to pay $271 for a permit to carry out the clean-up on my own - I am not "remodeling" my house for the fun of it - it burned down and the rubble must be cleared for health and other reasons. Why am I forced to pay for a permit to carry out this work? That is but one example of the City's insensitivity to the fire victims and its complete and utter failure to step up and do SOMETHING to help us in ways that matter. Disgraceful and pathetic - you should be ashamed of yourselves.

Justice

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Tea Fire Donations : 12/4/2008

Santa Barbara Axxess will donate $10 to Tea Fire Victims with the purchase of an Axxess Book if you purchase it through their office. www.sbaxxess.com

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Painted Cave Fire : 12/5/2008

There certainly doing a lot more for the Painted Cave fire victims. I think after 600 homes burned (including mine), everyone got together and said how can we help and deal with a disaster like this in the future, hence, the community's help and concern. I don't remember the help and generousity given to the Painted Cave Fire victims. Good that the community is rallying behind the Tea Fire survivors and learning from their mistakes. The City apparently hasn't gotten with the program, even 18 years after the PCF.

NoHollabackGirl

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