The LAFD helicopter was rushing a young female patient to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles when it crashed in Griffin Park, killing three firefighters and the 11-year-old girl, Norma Vides.
It’s remembered as the LAFD’s deadliest day. At the time, Paul Linton was the operations manager at the 333 S. Hope Street high rise.
“We already had a tenant event planned when I got the idea that maybe we could raise money for Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund. The fire department agreed to bring apparatus, rescue equipment and the big thing they jump into from a tall building. We had these static displays.”
In an hour and a half, the event raised $11,000.
It has since evolved into Hope for Firefighters, which features live music, meals prepared by over 25 fire stations throughout the city, fire apparatus and demonstrations, LAFD gift merchandise booths, raffle drawings, prizes, trophies and Firefighter Muster games.
There, more than 20 sponsored teams will compete for trophies and prizes in everything from bucket brigade, firefighter suit-up to an old-fashioned hose pull contest. Funds are raised through sponsorship, meal ticket sales, raffle items and the sale of LAFD merchandise.
“We’ve figured out how to make this an annual event,” Linton said. “Steve Ruda, PIO for the department, and I put our heads together with the outline and plan.
“In 1999, six teams competing in the games and six food booths. The following year, I had 12 of each. Now, we usually have about 25 to 27 food booths and the same number of teams.”
For the food booths, corporate sponsors are paired with the firefighters.
“On the day of the event, the corporate sponsor’s staff work side by side with the firemen at the station.”
Linton said he’s proud of what he and volunteers have accomplished.
“It’s the biggest fireman’s appreciation event in the nation, if not the world,” he said. “We’re very lucky. We get fire departments from New York, Chicago and San Francisco, with eyes toward how they can do that in their home cities.”
Linton said the event is successful because they’re able to shut down two-and-a-half blocks of Downtown Los Angeles and Hope Street, without “bringing traffic to its knees.”
“We’re surrounded by all the high rises. We have this huge audience of people who pour out of the buildings.
“Our goal is to bring the people who work in those high risers together with the local firemen at the first event. We want the employees and tenants to meet the firemen from the Downtown fire department.”
He wants the public to appreciate firefighters, whom they may meet during a tragedy one day.
“Our secondary goal is to benefit Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund,” he said.
“Initially, it was all about raising money for three firemen and the little girl’s family when I learned about Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighters Fund. There are other fire department associations that do good work, too. We want to spread that around.”
Original Article: https://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/getting-to-know-you-lafd-dtla-tenants-mingle-at-daytime-event/article_a36a887c-1f9b-11ef-802e-0b2e8c3e7e0c.html
