It will take a lot more than hundreds of burned structures and $10 billion in damage to douse the Christmas spirit among the residents of Santa Rosa, California’s Coffey Park neighborhood — especially when Ronnie Duvall is on the case.
Duvall and a handful of other generous sponsors made sure of that by staging a festive block party for area residents.
“I started all this with 30 light strands in the dark,” the Red Cross volunteer told LifeZette on Tuesday evening. “One night passing through, it dawned on me that it’s going to be Christmas soon, and there needs to be a sign of Christmas spirit to let people know they are loved.”
What started with Duvall’s 30 strands of lights soon expanded into a memorable and ongoing celebration of hope.
The Coffey Park neighborhood was devastated in October’s tragic wildfire. The story was highlighted on “The Ingraham Angle,” Tuesday night on Fox News.
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For a few hours on December 16, adults and kids gathered to enjoy the transformation of Coffey Park from a moonscape-like dystopia to a fun-filled winter wonderland. Santa Claus, snow slides, Christmas trees, and lights all played a role in the holiday festivities.
“It’s all about cleaning up the devastation they went through and giving them a chance to start over again,” said Glen Gahlotti in an interview with Fox affiliate KTVU. The construction contractor, along with several other co-sponsors, invested more than $50,000 in the labor of love.
All comers enjoyed the festive atmosphere that night, but it didn’t end there. On their Facebook page, @CoffeyParkChristmas, they explained how they gave away more than 200 Christmas trees to the displaced residents, some donated by the Cloverdale Lions Club.
A few days after the block party, a local arborist helped commemorate the event with 300 feet of LED lights. The volunteer scaled a palm tree and encircled its trunk from top to bottom, Duvall told LifeZette. Locals call it the “beacon of hope.”
At Scarlet Place — renamed “Giving Court” for the event — they distributed “gift cards, new appliances, toys, new clothing, coffee, hellos, hugs, and more,” thanks to several generous donors. Their Facebook page also indicated the Salvation Army was on-site to assist any resident.
“You can feel the love in this community,” said Santa Rosa resident Lisa Hawkinson in a KTVU interview during the event.
A few days after the block party, a local arborist helped commemorate the event with 300 feet of LED lights. The volunteer scaled a palm tree and encircled its trunk from top to bottom, Duvall told LifeZette. Locals call it the “beacon of hope.”
If Ronnie Duvall has any say in it, the Christmas spirit kindled in December will carry well into 2018 and beyond. “We are planning a ball drop for the children of all burn areas and a second at 12 for the adults,” he said. Duvall’s plans include encouraging a family friendly, alcohol-free event.
Duvall’s now brainstorming ideas for a fundraiser. He hopes to use the money to line both sides of Hopper Street with colorful crepe myrtle trees — a perfectly suited tribute to the enduring spirit of Coffey Park’s residents.
Michele Blood is a freelance writer based in Flemington, New Jersey.
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