Rotary Organizes Jan. 30 Event for Wildfire Relief

Texans who remember the Bastrop wildfire on 2011 get flashbacks every time they see the news reports from California. Local Rotarians will give them an opportunity to help with a “pop-up fundraiser” Thursday, Jan. 30, at Mac’s Daqs in downtown La Grange.

The “happy hour” event will be from 5-7 p.m. and everyone is invited to participate.

The Bastrop disaster in September 2011 was the most destructive wildfire in Texas history, with $350 million in damage and 1,691 homes destroyed. It pales, however, in comparison to California’s damages in the billions.

Much of the news focuses on burned mansions, but “everyday people live in LA, too,” says Rotary president Hannah Janda.

The fund-raiser will let “California Rotary clubs help those who need help the most,” she said.

Many organizations are seeking donations, but Janda believes Rotary Clubs are particularly good at judging where funds are needed most.

That comes from firsthand experience.

“After Hurricane Harvey, more than $350,000 was sent to the La Grange Rotary Club for distribution,” Phil Oestrich recalls. He was club president that year and helped make sure the funds were used wisely.

“We did a pop-up fundraiser like this after the fires in Hawaii,” said Kyle Hartmann, last year’s club president. “It was a big success and now we are going to do it for California.”

There will be drawings and raffles and opportunities to make direct donations. A portion of drink sales also will be donated to the cause.

All proceeds will go to the Rotary District 5280 Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization of the Rotary Clubs in Southern California.