North Bay, CA October 12, 2017
The Lake Area Rotary Club Fire Relief Fund (LARCA) announced today that it has expanded its fire relief efforts to now include the Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino County Fire victims. The fund, established by the Lake County Rotary clubs in 2015 after a series of fires ravaged through the community including the devastating Valley Fire, raised nearly $1 Million. These funds have been successfully deployed to the businesses and residents that suffered so much loss as a result of the devastation that occurred in Lake County over the last couple years. The funds raised have covered a multitude of areas of need in the County from work with kids, to seniors, to housing, to shelter support, to grief counseling services and much more. “The goal of our committee from day 1 has been to find the holes in the system and get the help to where it is needed most and do it with zero overhead costs” said Ron Roberts, President of the Lake Area Rotary Club Association. Their flagship program, the Business Recovery Grant Program, provided over $250,000 in assistance to small businesses affected by the fires. “Small business is the heart of a community and our Rotary committee quickly realized there was a need to help them get their doors back open as quickly as possible and keep them open. We began deploying funds to this program almost immediately and this was a cornerstone in rebuilding our communities.” stated Dirk Slooten, Chair of the LARCA Fire Relief Fund. He goes on to state “with the onslaught of these new and incredibly devastating fires in our neighboring counties, it’s now time to take that knowledge and experience we gained here in Lake County and now expand it to help others.”
The Rotary 5130 Fire Relief Fund is now accepting cash donations to support those in Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties. “The magnitude of the devastation that is occurring right now in the North Bay is vast and far reaching. The recovery and rebuild is going to be a long process but we are confident that we can lead the way in bringing these communities back up. Rotarians know how to get things done and won’t stop until we reach the finish line.” stated Bob Rogers, Rotary 5130’s District Governor.
For more information on the fund or to donate online, go to www.larca5130.org. Questions can be sent to larca5130@gmail.com You can also mail a check payable to:
“LARCA Fire Relief”
PO Box 2921
Clearlake CA 95422
501c3 Non-‐Profit # 46-‐1149482