GREEN VALLEY, Ariz. (KGUN) — As Los Angeles struggles to recover from the devastating Eaton and Palisades wildfires, a community more than 400 miles away has stepped up in a big way.
The Green Valley and Sahuarita Rotary Clubs, along with three others along the I-19 corridor, successfully raised nearly $27,000 for disaster relief efforts—far surpassing their initial goal of $10,000.
The fundraiser, dubbed Working Together to Rebuild Lives, ran from February 4th to February 12th. All donations will go to ShelterBox USA, a nonprofit that provides emergency shelter and aid to families displaced by disasters.
The effort began with a $1,000 donation from the Santa Rita Fire District, followed by contributions from Rotary Clubs in Valle Verde, Sahuarita, Green Valley, Rio Rico, and Mountain Empire of Sonoita.
“There are so many families that have lost so much and so many firefighters that have given so much of their lives to protect those communities,” said Thomas Beckel, Captain of the Santa Rita Fire District. “It’s just one of those devastating events that nobody saw coming, and we’re just trying to help.”
The wildfires, which destroyed approximately 12,000 homes, were contained on February 2, but the road to recovery is long. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates it will take at least 18 months just to clear the debris before rebuilding can begin. To make matters worse, heavy rains in Los Angeles this past week triggered evacuation warnings due to the risk of floods and debris flows in burn areas.
For many involved in the fundraising effort, the cause is deeply personal. Phil Noble, Acting President of the Rotary Club of Green Valley, noted that several Rotary members have family in Los Angeles directly impacted by the fires. “Really, what motivated us was just knowing that there are people there close by, suffering, and are going to be for some time.”
For Joseph J. Lessa, a Green Valley resident, the tragedy hit even closer to home. Lessa grew up near Paradise, California, a town completely wiped out by the 2018 Camp Fire—one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history.
“I lived not far from a little town called Paradise, which is up by Chico in Northern California, and the whole town got wiped out,” Lessa recalled.
Despite the challenges, Lessa said he is proud to be part of a community that values helping others. “It’s an older generation here,” he said of Green Valley. “And I think they have a better sense of community. They know when someone has a problem, they’re here for you.”
All funds raised have been handed off to the Rotary District Office, which will distribute them to ShelterBox USA.
While the official fundraiser has ended, donations for wildfire relief efforts are still being accepted through ShelterBox’s website.
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
