Local students, PA firefighters join forces for disaster relief

Annie Valles, left, and Kelly McMeekin spurred the effort to raise nearly $2,000 for hurricane relief efforts through the careful application of pancakes.

Egan Junior High School eighth-graders Kelly McMeekin and Annie Valles decided to hold a pancake breakfast to raise money for the Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. They were joined by volunteers from several local schools and the Palo Alto Fire Department Sept. 11 at the Elks Lodge in Palo Alto.

The event raised $1,988 to aid those affected by the disaster on the Gulf Coast.

Fire Chief Nicholas Marinaro led a contingent of at least 15 flapjack-flipping firefighters. More than 20 volunteers from Egan Junior High School, one each from Blach Intermediate and Santa Rita Elementary and four from Los Altos High sliced fruit, poured juice, welcomed breakfasters, heaped plates with pancakes, offered syrup and cleaned tables. Vivian Nguyen of the Palo Alto High School Red Cross Chapter collected donations at the door.

“The Palo Alto Fire Department cooked perfectly round golden pancakes,” Kelly said.

Volunteers were too busy to count heads. They were stirring six 30-serving bags of pancake mix, pouring 9 gallons of apple and orange juice, making 150 cups of coffee and serving 49 pounds of peaches, bananas and cantaloupe.

In addition to the Elks Lodge and the Palo Alto Fire Department, sponsors of the event were Andronico’s, Costco, Kinko’s, Peet’s Coffee on El Camino, Palo Alto’s Neighborhood Disaster Activities (PANDA) and Safeway.