Lodi and Redding businesses team up to help fire victims
As the Carr Fire continues to burn in Shasta and Trinity counties, many communities are coming together to help those impacted by the fire.
Lodi’s Headwaters Kayak has teamed up with its sister shop in Redding, Headwaters Adventure Company, to host a fundraiser to aid in fire relief efforts. Headwater Kayak owner Dan Arbuckle and his mother Terri Arbuckle, owner of Headwater Adventure Company, have had friends , family members and members of their paddling community displaced by the fire due to poor air quality and loss of homes.
“We thought it would be a great benefit to the victims in Redding to help raise the funds to get folks back on their feet because there has been over 1,000 people displaced,” Terri said. “We just want to help folks and let people know how much we care about them, and we’re here for them. One thing about our kayak shop in Redding is that we have our customers, but they’re also our friends, so we thought that we would team up on this and reach out to everyone and help them.”
The fundraising event scheduled for Sunday at Lodi Lake will kick off with a community paddle starting at 11 a.m. Those attending are welcome to bring their own boating equipment and rentals will be available. Following the paddle a pot luck barbecue and raffle will be held at the Ron Williams Youth Area at the lake. Those attending can purchase 10 raffle tickets for $20.
According to Headwaters event coordinator Taylor Murphy, they’ve been able to secure several raffle prizes from businesses in Redding and Lodi, and many wineries are contributing towards the raffle prizes.
Harney Lane, Bokisch, Oak Farms and Constellation are a couple of the labels that are donating, Murphy said. Home Depot on Feather River Drive in Stockton is donating a barbecue. Several kayak companies are contributing merchandise and one of Headwaters’ suppliers donated a boat. A couple of different companies donated racks and landing gear.
Typical rental rates apply and proceeds from the rentals and raffle tickets will go towards relief efforts in Redding. Funds will be donated to Shasta Search and Rescue as well as other relief groups in the areas that have been impacted the most. The money raised at the event will be match by the Redding Bank of Commerce.
“It’s going to take years for people to get back into their homes but my goal is to raise some amount of money to give back to them to help make their lives a little easier,” Terri said. “We’re also raffling off travel packages to come back to Redding and just know that even though we are still burned out right now to please keep Redding in mind as a destination for a family outing.”
While fires have burned a large portion of Redding, Terri’s home and store have been left unscathed. However, she is currently housing friends that have lost their home to the fire and their business has been slowed with the fire significantly damaging Whiskey Town Lake.
As of Friday afternoon the fire had burned 181,000 acres and was 51 percent contained. So far, 1,077 residences have been destroyed and several firefighters and PG&E workers have lost their lives to the fire along with one family trapped in the fire. The fire has been burning since July 23.
Despite of all the devastation, Terri is happy that there are people out there that are willing to lend a helping hand.
“It fills my heart that there are so many folks in the Lodi area that have jumped on this with us and are making sure this is going to be a huge success,” she said. “We appreciate everyone that has donated, that has come in, that has asked how are we doing in Redding.”
For those who want to donate towards the Carr Fire relief but can’t make it to the event, there is a link on the event page on Facebook and the Headwaters website, https:// headwaterskayak.com/, where people can donate. According to Murphy, they will be taking cash and gift card donations because the relief groups are not accepting clothing donations.