LARCA EXPANDS TO SUPPORT NAPA, LAKE, SONOMA AND MENDOCINO COUNTY FIRES

North Bay, CA October 12, 2017

The Lake Area Rotary Club Fire Relief Fund (LARCA) announced today that it has expanded its fire relief efforts to now include the Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino County Fire victims. The fund, established by the Lake County Rotary clubs in 2015 after a series of fires ravaged through the community including the devastating Valley Fire, raised nearly $1 Million. These funds have been successfully deployed to the businesses and residents that suffered so much loss as a result of the devastation that occurred in Lake County over the last couple years. The funds raised have covered a multitude of areas of need in the County from work with kids, to seniors, to housing, to shelter support,  to grief counseling services and much more. “The goal of our committee from day 1 has been to find the holes in the system and get the help to where it is needed most and do it with zero overhead costs” said Ron Roberts, President of the Lake Area Rotary Club Association. Their flagship program, the Business Recovery Grant Program, provided over $250,000 in assistance to small businesses affected by the fires. “Small business is the heart of a community and our Rotary committee quickly realized there was a need to help them get their doors back open as quickly as possible and keep them open. We began deploying funds to this program almost immediately and this was a cornerstone in rebuilding our communities.” stated Dirk Slooten, Chair of the LARCA Fire Relief Fund. He goes on to state “with the onslaught of these new and incredibly devastating fires in our neighboring counties, it’s now time to take that knowledge and experience we gained here in Lake County and now expand it to help others.”

The Rotary 5130 Fire Relief Fund is now accepting cash donations to support those in Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties. “The magnitude of the devastation that is occurring right now in the North Bay is vast and far reaching. The recovery and rebuild is going to be a long process but we are confident that we can lead the way in bringing these communities back up. Rotarians know how to get things done and won’t stop until we reach the finish line.” stated Bob Rogers, Rotary 5130’s District Governor.  

For more information on how to donate online or by mail, visit our donation page at www.larca5130.org/donate. Questions can be sent to larca5130@gmail.com

You can also mail a check payable to: 

“LARCA Fire Relief”
PO Box 2921
Clearlake CA 95422

501c3 Non-Profit # 46-1149482

Middletown Tree Planting Project

Saturday, March 25th, 2017 ~ 9am

Middletown Trailside Park

21044 Dry Creek Cutoff ~ Middletown

The Lake Area Rotary Club Fire Relief Fund has organized a one day tree planting project at Middletown Trailside Park and is looking for volunteers to come help plant 3,000 trees!

Shortly after the Valley Fire raged through the south end of Lake County, several non-profit organizations established Fire Relief funds. Two of them, the Lake Area Rotary Club Fire Relief Fund and #LakeCountyRising, recognized the sheer devastation to the forests in the affected areas. In early October 2015, they collaborated with Charlotte Griswold, President of the Lake County Resource Conservation District (RCD), Greg Giusti, County Director and Forestry Advisor for UC Cooperative Extension, and Korinn Woodard, District Conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation District (NRCS). With funding provided by these two fire relief funds, the RCD arranged for the propagation of 100,000 native conifers for distribution to property owners in the affected area. The trees required a year of growth and are now ready to plant. 

As part of the project, it was agreed that several thousand of the trees would be set aside for a community tree planting project and the Middletown Trailside Park was identified as the appropriate location for such a project. Sponsored by the Lake Area Rotary Club Fire Relief Fund, the event will be held on Saturday, March 25, beginning at 9:00am at the Middletown Trailside Park at 21044 Dry Creek Cutoff in Middletown. Volunteers are encouraged to bring shovels and other tree planting implements, wear appropriate attire (long sleeves, long pants, and closed-toed shoes), bring water and sturdy gloves. A BBQ lunch will be provided. It is requested that volunteers RSVP to jennifer.strong@investmentcenters.com with the approximate number of people planning to attend.

 

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LARCA is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization comprised of the 4 Rotary Clubs in Lake County: Lakeport, Kelseyville, Clearlake and Middletown. The Fire Relief Committee was formed just 2 days after the outbreak of the Valley Fire and to date has raised nearly $1,000,000 with much of that already distributed so far to the businesses, individuals and communities affected by the 2015 and 2016 fires. To learn more or to donate visit: www.larca5130.org

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LARCA Fire Relief Fund Supports Victims of the Clayton Fire

Lake County, CA: August 16, 2016

The Lake Area Rotary Club Fire Relief Fund (LARCA) announced today that it is once again receiving donations in order to support the victims of the Clayton Fire. The Clayton Fire, which began on Saturday evening, has consumed over 4000 acres, destroyed over 175 structures and is currently only 20% contained as of Tuesday morning, according to CALFIRE incident command. The devastation to the small community of Lower Lake, including homes and businesses, is significant. Once again, thousands of Lake County residents have been displaced and their homes and community damaged and destroyed.

For more information on the fund, visit our About page. To make a donation, visit our Donate page. 

You can also mail a check payable to: 

LARCA Fire Relief
PO Box 2921
Clearlake, CA 95422

501c3 Non-Profit # 46-1149482

** Donations can also be made at check stands inside Safeway stores. 

The Lake Area Rotary Club Fire Relief Fund was established in September 2015 by the 4 Rotary Clubs located in Lake County just 2 days after the outbreak of the Valley Fire. The Valley Fire was the third most devastating fire in California history and consumed over 76,000 acres, took 4 lives and destroyed 1300 homes and businesses. The committee, formed with volunteer members from the Rotary Clubs of Lakeport, Kelseyville, Clearlake and Middletown, has worked tirelessly over the past 11 months to provide assistance to the victims of the fires of last summer with essentially no overhead expenses. The fund has raised to date over $800,000 and our flagship program, the Business Grant Program, has provided over 80 grants to businesses in the fire affected areas totaling $215,000. LARCA is a 501c3 non-profit entity.  

Two Lake County Non-Profit Organizations Partner with East Lake RCD to Support Reforestation in Fire-Ravaged Communities

#LakeCountyRising and Lake Area Rotary Club Fire Relief Fund collaborate. 

Lake County, Calif. – Two Lake County-based non-profit organizations have provided much- needed financial support to assist in the reforestation efforts for the areas ravaged by last September’s Valley Fire.

#LakeCountyRising is a collaborative fundraising effort of the Lake County Winegrape Commission, Lake County Winery Association, and Lake County Wine Alliance. The Lake Area Rotary Club Association (LARCA) is a non-profit foundation comprised of the 4 Rotary Clubs in Lake County – Lakeport, Middletown, Clearlake and Kelseyville. Together, these two entities have provided the necessary dollars to jumpstart the much needed reforestation in the fire affected areas.

They have allocated nearly $60,000 to the East Lake Resource Conservation District (RCD) to get the seedlings planted and the program in place. By collaborating with the El Dorado/Georgetown Divide RCD’s established native plant seed collection and propagation program, the funds have resulted in the greenhouse planting of 100,000 native conifers – mostly Ponderosa Pine but also including some Douglas Fir and Sugar Pine – that will be ready for distribution in time for the late Fall 2016/Spring 2017 planting season. The species available are suitable for higher elevation burned areas such as Cobb Mountain.

The discussions regarding funding for reforestation began in early October when Greg Giusti, County Director and Forestry Advisor for UC Cooperative Extension, and Korinn Woodard, District Conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation District (NRCS), began to formulate a plan that would make it possible to distribute seedling trees to private landowners as promptly as feasible.

“We determined that 100,000 trees could be needed this first year,” Giusti said. “We knew getting the seeds ordered and in the planting medium during the winter was the only way to have seedlings ready for planting in late 2016, early 2017.”

#LakeCountyRising representatives were interested in helping to support the effort but any donation would need to go to an established organization responsible for the program. At the same time, LARCA had also identified funding for reforestation efforts as a major priority.
That’s when East Lake Resource Conservation District (RCD) decided they could help bring this monumental effort to fruition.

“An experienced agency was needed to lead this effort, and our Board agreed that we had the experience and resources to make it happen, if funds were available.” East Lake President Charlotte Griswold said.

This is where #LakeCountyRising and LARCA stepped up to the plate. Timing was of the essence as seeds would need to be purchased in time for winter planting in order to have seedling stock available by late 2016. “It was evident there was urgency, so we presented it to our Steering Committee and they wholeheartedly supported it,” said Debra Sommerfield, president of the Lake County Winegrape Commission, one of the three organizations that established the #LakeCountyRising fundraising effort.

“Getting our forest lands replanted as soon as possible is a cornerstone in the healing process of the spirit of these communities. The LARCA Fire Relief Committee identified that as a top priority from day one and we are extremely pleased to be partnering with these other agencies to get that done” said Andy Peterson, chair of the LARCA Fire Relief Committee.
“The intention is to make conifer seedlings available for planting each winter for the next few years at a pace that will align with the community rebuilding process and demand”, Griswold said. “We expect to work with NRCS to start taking advance orders before the end of April and to partner with the Ag and Natural Resources programs at area high schools to organize several community planting projects.”

#LakeCountyRising is a fundraising effort to support community rebuilding in the areas ravaged by the Valley Fire with a focus on livelihood, housing, and community needs. The effort was initiated by three Lake County organizations – the Lake County Winegrape Commission, the Lake County Winery Association, and the Lake County Wine Alliance, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that manages the collection and distribution of tax-deductible donations.

#LakeCountyRising works with local organizations and government agencies to identify the most pressing community needs and, to date, has raised more than $800,000 and has distributed approximately $250,000 to more than 20 community- based organizations so far to assist with post-fire recovery. To learn more or to donate, visit: www.lakecountyrising.org

LARCA is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization comprised of the 4 Rotary Clubs in Lake County: Lakeport, Kelseyville, Clearlake and Middletown. The Fire Relief Committee was formed just 2 days after the outbreak of the Valley Fire and to date has raised nearly $700,000 with over $300,000 distributed so far to the businesses, individuals and communities affected by the 2015 fires. To learn more or to donate visit: www.larca5130.org
  
East Lake Resource Conservation District
889 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport, CA 95453
www.lakercd.org

Lake County Rising Fire Relief Fund
P.O. Box 530, Kelseyville, CA 95451
www.lakecountyrising.org

Lake Area Rotary Club Association (LARCA) Fire Relief Fund
P.O. Box 2921, Clearlake, CA 95422
www.larca5130.org

The Lake Area Rotary Club Association donates $3,000.00 for the Integrated Public Alert Warning System.

Public Information Release
January 22, 2016
Lieutenant Steve Brooks, Public Information Officer


The tragedies of the record breaking 2015 fire season in Lake County generated a great deal of community support, collaboration, and teamwork. Countless individuals, organizations, friends, strangers, and neighbors came together in response to these disasters. One such group was a conglomerate of Rotary, International organizations based right here in Lake County. The Lake Area Rotary Club Association (LARCA) was formed to distribute donations that had been gathered from the various Rotary clubs based in Lake County. 

On Friday, January 15, LARCA Treasurer Russ Cremer presented Lake County Sheriff/Emergency Services Director Brian Martin and Lake County Fire Protection District Chief Willie Sapeta a check for $3000.00 for the Lake County Office of Emergency Services. This money is earmarked to pay for Lake County OES’ contract with an approved commercial software provider to access the Integrated Public Alert Warning System (IPAWS). 

During an emergency alert and warning, officials need to provide the public with life-saving information quickly. IPAWS is a modernization and integration of the nation’s alert and warning infrastructure and will save time when time matters most, protecting life and property. Federal, State, territorial, tribal and local alerting authorities can use IPAWS and integrate local systems that use Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) standards with the IPAWS infrastructure. IPAWS provides public safety officials with an effective way to alert and warn the public about serious emergencies using the Emergency Alert System (EAS), Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio, and other public alerting systems from a single interface. 

This service will complement the Sheriff's Office and OES existing NIXLE and City Watch reverse 911 system to be able to quickly notify people in the event of an emergency. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Office of Emergency Services expects to have the system ready for use by March. Key personnel have already completed the FEMA required training to participate in this program. 

Sheriff Martin said “I am grateful for this generous contribution from members of our community. It will allow us to improve the level of service provided by first responders to residents and visitors in Lake County during times of emergency. My deepest gratitude goes out to the Lake Area Rotary Club Association for making this possible. On behalf of a grateful community I thank them.”