Volunteers at Flintridge Center distribute emergency supplies to fire survivors (Photo – Yemi Kuku)
The Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF) has announced that its Eaton Fire Relief & Recovery Fund has grown to over $7 million in just two weeks, thanks to an outpouring of support from individuals, foundations, and corporations alike.
By John Boucher
This substantial amount will help provide crucial resources to those impacted by the devastating Eaton Fire, which has caused immense destruction across the Pasadena-Altadena-Sierra Madre communities.
More than 2,500 individual donors, as well as major national and local foundations, have helped boost the fund. PCF has already distributed $533,000 in grants to 20 nonprofits in Pasadena and Altadena, ensuring that essential services can continue in the wake of the disaster. The foundation continues to collaborate with civic, community, and nonprofit leaders to determine further distribution of funds over the coming weeks and months.
Among the significant donations, The Ballmer Group made an extraordinary $1 million contribution. Steve and Connie Ballmer have pledged $15 million in emergency funding for those affected by recent wildfires, with a particular focus on supporting the historically diverse Altadena community.
Additional major gifts have come from Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, and the California Community Foundation, among others. Local businesses and organizations have also stepped up, with East West Bank Foundation and the Rose Bowl Operating Company each donating $250,000.
In addition to corporate and foundation support, the local community has come together in creative ways to raise funds. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) has pledged to donate proceeds from its 67th Grammy Awards, held on February 2, to PCF’s Eaton Fire Fund. Wasserman Music and concert venues such as The Troubadour and Lodge Room Highland Park have also planned two sold-out benefit concerts in the coming week, with 100% of proceeds directed to fire relief efforts.
Fundraisers have extended beyond the Pasadena area as well. In Seattle, Head in the Clouds Trivia raised nearly $8,000 for the fund, and in Boulder, Colorado, the Colorado Chautauqua Community House is hosting a benefit concert on February 26 to support the recovery efforts.
The PCF Eaton Fire Relief and Recovery Fund continues to focus on providing aid through trusted community-based nonprofits. The funds will support families and individuals directly affected by the disaster, with an ongoing commitment to long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts.
For more information or to donate, visit the Pasadena Community Foundation website.
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