Modesto area pitches in to help wildfire victims
Several area feed companies are collecting donations and offering their own supplies to aid animals injured and displaced by the Butte fire, and Denair schools are collecting donations for the American Red Cross until 1 p.m. Friday.
Turlock Feed and Livestock made its second trip up the hill Tuesday with feed and medical supplies for about 75 displaced horses and other animals being housed at Laughton Ranch in Jackson.
The store has donated $2,500 worth of shavings and feed for horses, chickens, cows and goats, said owner Mary Lewellen.
She works as a nurse at Kaiser Modesto Medical Center and her husband is an officer with the Modesto Police Department. They got colleagues to donate other items such as clothes and hygiene products for people who have lost their homes, as well as snacks for the firefighters.
Lewellen said the store at 1331 Fulkerth Road will remain a donation drop-off site as long as there is a need. She will continue to post on Turlock Feed and Livestock’s Facebook page the items that are needed for animals and people.
Also collecting items to take to Laughton Ranch is Escalon Feed, in partnership with Healing Hands Arena. Donation items can be dropped off at Escalon Feed, 17407 Escalon Bellota Road. The next load of donations from Escalon will be sent Thursday to aid those affected by the Butte fire.
Denair High and Denair Middle schools are collecting clothing, toiletries, water, nonperishable food, blankets and checks made out to the Red Cross at the school offices from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Friday. The campuses are on Lester Road north of Main Street in Denair. For information, call the high school office at 209-632-9911 or the middle school office at 209-632-2510.
Denair High student Destiny Silva organized the effort. At the middle school, leadership club students decided to pitch in after finding out campus supervisor Melissa Oei has friends who lost their homes.
Silva and her family intend to take what is collected to one of the relief stations in Calaveras County, said Denair High Principal Alecia Myers. Middle school Principal Travis Manley said he will drive the goods from his campus to a friend from Calaveras County and that she’ll take it to the Red Cross or Resource Connection in San Andreas.
The Planet Fitness gym in Century Center at Oakdale Road and Orangeburg Avenue also is collecting supplies for victims of the fire. Members of the gym take a note card from an easel and return with the item(s) listed. Collected already have been shoes, school supplies and more.
This story was originally published September 15, 2015 at 4:05 PM with the headline "Modesto area pitches in to help wildfire victims."