Community comes together to support High Park Fire victims

The outpouring of community support for those touched by the High Park Fire continues. At the Larimer County Board of County Commissioners’ meeting Tuesday morning, County Manager Linda Hoffmann said the Lions Club had offered $21,000 to go directly to fire victims.

She added that the county has partnered with Adventist Community Services Disaster Response to open a Donations Collection Center in the old Mervyn’s space at the Foothills Mall, 215 E. Foothills Parkway in Fort Collins. The space and all utilities costs have been donated by mall management.

In addition to collecting needed items daily between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., the center will also be able to accept cash donations.

Needed items include:
• Diapers: adult and baby
• Wipes
• Personal hygiene items
• New packaged underwear
• Non-perishable foods (no home-cooked food)
• Animal foods
• New bedding: sheets, blankets and pillows
• Laundry and cleaning supplies
• Large trash cans and trash bags
• Work gloves, new shovels, rakes
• N-95 masks

Please, no used clothing or bottled water.

Donations will be made available to those affected by the High Park Fire starting June 21.
For information on volunteering at the donations center or at the county’s Disaster Response Center on the Colorado State University campus, go to www.HelpColoradoNow.org.

The local arts and music community continue to show their support as well. Fort Collins community radio station KRFC 88.9FM has partnered with Avogadro’s, 605 S. Mason St., for a benefit concert and silent auction on Wednesday, June 20, beginning at 7 p.m. Danielle Ate the Sandwich will be opening for Grant Farm and Rawah, $5 suggested donation. Just some of the auction items already donated include original art work, a house concert by Mama Lenny and the Remedy, animal food and accessories, t-shirts, coffee and coffee mugs, and a year of beer from New Belgium Brewing. All proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross.

KRFC has also started a database of people willing to share resources — space, time, money — with fire victims. Go to www.krfcfm.org for more information.

Bas Bleu Theatre is donating ticket proceeds from the 7:30 p.m. performance of “Buffalo Gal” on Thursday, June 28, to the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department, which were the first responders to the fire when it was reported on Saturday, June 9. Go to www.basbleu.org for more information or to buy tickets.