Sporting a handmade yellow-and-navy dress stitched from donated linens, Joy Duff led the playful runway procession from her wheelchair which she and other residents at Belmont Village Senior Living had disguised as a fire truck.
The firefighter’s breakfast fundraiser and sustainable fashion show was held in Burbank as part of Belmont’s annual Belmont Blooms initiative and brought together more than 60 residents, staff and local firefighters for an energetic morning celebration on April 27.
At the event, residents raised more than $2,000 for the L.A. County Fire Department Foundation to aid in Los Angeles’ fire recovery efforts.
“Even though the Burbank Belmont Village wasn’t affected by fires, we certainly were in the thick of it,” said David Aaron, activities program coordinator for Belmont Burbank. “We took in some residents that were displaced from fires. … We have a resident who lost everything in the Eaton Fire.”
Burbank is home to one of 35 Belmont Village facilities across the U.S., with seven located in the Los Angeles area. Aaron said everyone has a story from this year’s devastating wildfires, and Belmont residents are no different.
When evacuation orders were issued for Belmont residents in Calabasas and Hollywood, Belmont Burbank opened its doors to seniors living in those fire-impacted areas.
Residents supported the recovery process in March when Belmont hosted an American Red Cross blood drive. Aaron said turnout exceeded expectations, with 35 residents, family members and other volunteers showing up to donate.
That effort became the genesis for this year’s Belmont Blooms campaign — a yearly drive aimed at keeping seniors active in the Burbank community. The campaign’s centerpiece was the firefighters’ breakfast fundraiser and fashion show.
Residents and staff prepared for the show, breaking out sewing machines and crowdsourcing donated fabric to sew sustainable, fire-themed clothing.
“All of the clothes that we made were donated, sheets and tablecloths,” Aaron said. “Some of the residents said … ‘I haven’t sewed in 10 years. This was lovely, being able to kind of get behind the machine again.’”
Firefighters from the Burbank and Los Angeles fire departments attended, along with guest speakers including Fire Chief Danny Alvarez, Emergency Management Coordinator Eric Baumgardner and L.A. County firefighter Matt Petri, a former Belmont Burbank employee. Other notable attendees included Burbank City Councilmembers Konstantine Anthony and Chris Rizzotti.
“They spoke about what to do in preparations and how the different fire departments work together, how they were able to stabilize the fires and keep us safe,” Aaron said.
By the end of the event, the community had raised more than $2,000 for the L.A. County Fire Department Foundation. The event was documented on camera for an upcoming film festival on May 14 in Calabasas, where seven L.A.-area Belmont communities — including Burbank — will screen short documentaries about their contributions to this year’s Belmont Blooms.
Now in its 22nd year in Burbank, Aaron credited Belmont Village’s success to long-serving staff and a strong sense of purpose.
“We have over 18 [staff] that have been here for 10 years or more. That longevity speaks to what a great community we have and what a great place it is to work and live,” he said.
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