Amid Eaton fire devastation, Santa Anita Park transforms into an aid center for victims

Waves of people rolled into the Santa Anita race track parking lot on Saturday, Jan. 11, bringing with them tons of aid and best wishes for fire victims.

Amid an overwhelming flood of donations, the park – normally a beloved hub in Arcadia for horse racing – instantly became a new front in the ballooning volunteer effort to aid the thousands who lost their homes in the Eaton fire.

The fire, which broke out Tuesday and was still alive on Saturday at 15 percent containment, has scarred 14,117 acres, killed at least eight people and has destroyed thousands of homes and structures from Altadena to Sierra Madre.

Santa Anita became a huge focus after an impromptu call for donations at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl stadium led to a surge of support. But officials had to redirect the effort after the overwhelming response blocked access to the area for emergency agencies.

By late Friday, the city of Pasadena was redirecting donations to Santa Anita Park in nearby Arcadia.

That’s where a grassroots campaign started by the nonprofit Allen G and Friends on Friday was burgeoning by Saturday into a major operation, with volunteers manning lines for people to drop off donations,  those who want to work, and those needing help.

Manny Loayza, owner of Gamut Event Services in Pasadena, brought folding tables and a troop of students and friends from Holy Angels School in Arcadia and La Salle High School in Pasadena to organize donations and distribute supplies such as ramen, bread, and toiletries.

His clients donated bags for people to carry what they need.

“To the best it can be organized in a short amount of time, this is working. We’re not FEMA. It’s just people. I went to bed last night thinking what I could do.”

James Michael, 38, of Long Beach, brought his coffee truck, Trucha Coffee, stationing himself first in Altadena, then the Rose Bowl before arriving at Santa Anita Park.

He is part of Project Coffee Cup, which gives out free coffee at Skid Row and other places in crisis.

“I’m seeing volunteers staying energized and being grateful and I’m meeting people who have lost their homes and they just want to vent over a drink.”

Trucha Coffee’s signature drink is Loco Energy, lemonade with mangoes and strawberries and topped with Tajin.

“Anytime I run out of supplies. I put the word out on social media and people donate. I’m not moving until this is done.”

The activity created a definite vibe through out the vast race track parking lot.

At one point, a call went out: “Water line right over here!”

And a line of mostly teenagers formed to hand each other cases of bottled water.

Another call went out: “All clear!” and the line dispersed.

Lauren Kilpatrick, 18, of Sierra Madre and Gaby Gamboa, 18, of Monterey Park, joined the line.

“We’re here to show acts of kindness and hopefully inspire others,” Gamboa said, eyeing the line of cars dropping off donations.

The two said several families from their school, Flintridge Sacred Heart in La Canada Flintridge, have lost their homes, but some had their homes spared.

“So much loss, but miracles too,” Gamboa said. “Faith is the most important thing.”

A deejay inside a Dr. Pepper truck played music, Spanish tunes and electric dance music. The truck’s PA system also served to announce the arrival of donations and at one point a need for a medic.

Michele Stroman-McGuire of Duarte lived in Altadena for 20 years and she feels a lot of guilt, she said. “I had to reach out and give out hope.”

Her nephew from Lancaster drove down to help, too.

So many people came out they laughingly competed for duties such as unloading cars or distributing food.

Rick Bakker, director of hospitality for Santa Anita Park, said the move from the Rose Bowl  to Santa Anita Park was sudden, but showed the racetrack team is good in a crisis.

With cars lined up to Baldwin Avenue, both people come to help and those needing it, racetrack staff organized drop-off points and set up Easy Ups to serve as a point of contact near the Dr. Pepper truck

He said they dropped off 300 sandwiches at the Rose Bowl for the newly arrived National Guard.

Santa Anita on Saturday had called off racing Saturday and Sunday after the overnight expansion of the wildfires.

Bakker estimated a peak of about 3,000 arrived on Saturday.

Not surprising. Efforts to donate have overwhelmed not just the Rose Bowl grounds, but the evacuation center set up at the Pasadena Convention Center. There were so many volunteers seeking to help and donate, many were being turned away, only to check in with other local organizations.

“Everybody just showed up,” Bakker said.”It’s an amazing effort. This is the easy job, honestly. The first responders are doing the hard part.”