Firefighters Quest for Burn Survivors

FIREFIGHTERS QUEST
Summer 2012
For Burn Survivors
Firefighters Quest Annual Charity Golf Tournament
Many thanks also go out to the individuals who volunteered to head
up committees, like Tom Propst – T Shirts, Jessie Latta – Raffle/Silent
Auction, Rick McCarter – Tee and Contest Sponsors, Eric Rowley and
his team - Photo/Video, Harry Kurdoghlian/Emmanuel Lessis and all
the Members of the Pasadena FF’s Assoc – Food and Honor Guard,
James Lavey/Rick McCarter – Beer and Float Bar, Jeff and Eileen
Howe – Lunch Prep, Ron Ibaven – Water and Ice, Don Wright for the
PA system, and all the many volunteers at registration.
Thank you Pasadena Firefighters
for the most awesome lunch!
What a great year for the Annual Charity Golf Tournament, which was held on Wednesday, March 14 th at
Angeles National Golf Club. The Tournament could not be a success if
not for the very hard work of so many. I wish to express a great deal of
thanks to Sharil Fukusaki, Tournament Director, for 4 years of success
with each year getting better - to the point that Sharil has offered us a
deal for 2013 if Quest and the new Golf Chairman wishes to accept it. I
want to thank all the volunteers in all their posts... from working the
contest holes to another GREAT performance by Deb Dahmer, her
assistants, and Pros Fore Charity. They provided many fun contests for
the golfers and ran the Silent Auction/Raffle for Quest. Deb has done
an amazing job now for 2 years and I can only hope that Firefighters
Quest is fortunate enough to have her again next year.
I want to
send out a VERY SPECIAL thanks to Tony
Pretty little raffle items all in a row
Mucci and Shasta for their in-depth support as an
Event Sponsor this year. Each year Mr Mucci
supports Quest and burn survivors during the
Mountain High Ski and Ride Day (5 years running
now) and at the Quest Charity Golf Tournament (4
years running). Quest could not be a success with
these events if not for support from Shasta. In the
same breath, Quest can’t forget the huge support
this year and the VERY SPECIAL thanks owed to
Mike Haney and Arroyo Investment Group.
Arroyo Investment was also an Event Sponsor,
stepping up with support that earned them an
honorary Tee and Shirt Sponsorship. Mike Haney/
Arroyo Investment Group even supplied the
sleeves of balls for every player this year. These 2 Companies really made the Firefighters Quest Charity
Golf Tournament a record year supporting Burn Survivors, Burn Organizations, and all the programs
that Quest in involved with. Thanks so much each of you for your dedication in supporting Firefighters
Quest’s Mission.
On the Cover: LA City Air Ops Air 1 makes a drop to kick off the tournament
Thank you Pros 4 Charity for all you do!
Right on the heels of this comes the L. A. City Fire
Department Air Operations. If not for them how could I
ever provide a somewhat surprise with the ‘Flyover of
ALL Flyovers’! This could not have been possible if
NOT for many individuals that went to bat for
Firefighters Quest to obtain the approval. Submitting a
letter to Battalion Chief Ernst at Air Ops, and then with
the support of not only Chief Ernst but Capt. Paul Egizi
who faxed the letter downtown for me to Capt. Jamie
Moore – Public Relations, and then to Pilot Rick
Wheeler of Fire 1 for the awesome flyover/water drop.
And I can’t forget the BIG help from Mike Rojas who
was the liaison in communication with Fire 1 who made
the event the best. I tried to get the air crew to drop on
the crowd to make you all feel like it was going to rain again on the tournament, (we dodged the bullet to the
following weekend) but that didn’t materialize – maybe next year.
In conjunction with the flyover was the superb
professionalism of the 3-member Pasadena Fire
Department Honor Guard – Robert Sepulveda, Steve
Choe, and Brad Sims. And we have to note the lunch
cooks from Pasadena FF’s Assoc - Harry Kurdoghlian,
Neal Chieng, and Jerry Kenoly. Many thanks to each
of you for a job well done.
Then I want to Thank the 20 Tee Sponsors we had,
6 Contest Sponsors, and the 14 T-Shirt Sponsors. This
was a record in Tee Sponsors and Shirt Sponsors
thanks to the hard work of the committee chairs. The
Putting Contest Sponsorship was a new level Quest
The awards await our winners
decided to include in the 2012 Tournament, which
gave sponsors who would like to have a plaque the
chance to do so. Thank you to each of you for ALL the support this year. Thank you also to BJ’s Brewery, Firemans
Brew, and Arrowhead water for providing their products for the tournament. Hope to see you again in 2013. Each of
these sponsors will have their names, logos, etc. printed in this and upcoming issues of the Quest Newsletter for the
following year.
I believe we had a record number of golfers - in the
neighborhood of 110, which beat the prior year’s magic 96.
Many thanks to each of the golfers that attended the
Tournament, and I hope you had enough ‘sweet’ fun to
return in 2013.
As is always the case, an event is only as good as the
organization and the individuals running it. A personal
Thanks to all for your help and I wish the next Golf
Chairman many happy returns.
First a great lunch, then an equally great dinner
The eats were as good as the golf!
Scott French
With the week starting off with morning clouds and drizzle I
was concerned that this might be another year of rain for the
tournament. To my surprise I woke at 0600 and went outside to
see what the skies looked like. Nothing but stars in the dark sky
and I knew it was going to be a great day. As the sun rose in the
east over the still scarred mountains from the recent Station Fire,
it was evident that is was going to be a great day for golf. Sunny
skies above, slight breeze and the temperature in the mid to upper
60’s set the stage was once again set for the annual Quest golf
tournament.
This year twenty seven foursomes registered and arrived ready
to hit the links. There were many repeat golfers and loyal Quest
supporters, as well as some new supporters to the tournament.
The morning began with golfers arriving and warming up at
the driving range and the putting green. Two early morning
drawings were held prior to the shotgun start with Jeff Rhem
winning a new golf bag and Jeanett Cordon taking home a new
iPad. A BBQ tri tip lunch provided by members of the Pasadena
Fire Department along with refreshments from BJ’s Brewery and
Firemans Brew filled the tummies before the start. The
tournament kicked off with a shotgun start after the Pasadena
Color Guard presented the colors and a flyover by the Los
Angeles City Fire Department airship. Golfers enjoyed many on
course contests including the opportunity to win a new Ford car
graciously provided by Quest sponsor, Galpin Ford and the on
course festivities provided by professional golfer Deb Dahmer
and her assistants.
As golfers completed their round they found a raffle and bar
ready for service in the main dining area. Golfers were sharing
stories of the day and of the shots that “almost fell”. The awards
program was held with a buffet dinner, raffle, live auction and
awards presentation recognizing many for their efforts. The
following is a list of those who won awards and trophies.
Best Dressed: Jeff Simon, Eric Dillon, Ladd Stilson, Bob Vege
3rd Place Net: Score 70 – Kevin La Sota, Bryan La Sota, Jim
Lytle, Jeanett Cordon
2nd Place Net: Score 70 – Karlow Krikor, Matt Safranek, Mike
Coley
1st Place Net: Score 70 – Don Cervantes, Calvin Wells, Robert
Sepulveda
3rd Place Gross: Score 58 – Mark Wright, Pete Lawson, Ken
Lewis, Mike Murphy
2nd Place Gross: Score 58 – Frank Litchauer, Bill Smith,
Craig Canfield, Jeff Manion
1st Place Gross: Score 55 – Ray Villsenor, Sr., Ray Villasenor,
Jr., Rudy Robles, Miguel Delgado
Awards were also presented for the most gross team score.
This year the highest scoring team was presented with the
perpetual Quest (Masters) Most Gross Jackets and a toilet trophy.
This year’s recipients of the “Jackets” were Chris Kumfer, Tim
Kumfer, Chris Gutierrez & Bill Gutierrez with an impressive
score of 74! I look forward to seeing them return next year to
defend their coats once again!
Quest thanks all who participated and those supported the
tournament with Tee sponsorships, putting sponsorships and tee
shirt sponsorships. Thanks also to all who generously donated
items for our raffle and give away items which made the
tournament a success. Special thanks to our Title Sponsors, Tony
Mucci / Shasta and Mike Haney / Arroyo Investments. Thanks
also to Guy Tomlinson, Jr Holtz, Fabricated Glass and Sam
Brown Shields for providing the beautiful trophies again this year.
Finally, a HUGE thanks to our tournament chairman, Scott French
and our many volunteers, all who volunteered their day to assist in
making the event run smooth! Quest hopes you enjoyed the day
and we look forward to seeing you on the course next year!!
Thanks again.
Annual Quest Rally Coming Soon!
During the week of May 7 – 11, 2012 the 15th Annual Quest
Rally will be traveling throughout California raising funds for
burn survivors and facilities that assist in burn recovery.
Firefighters will be participating from the northern community of
Santa Maria to the High Desert communities of San Bernardino
and Riverside counties as well as those in the beach communities
of Orange and Ventura Counties. The 2012 Rally will include
participation of over 100 contributors dedicated to burn survivors.
The 2012 Rally schedule is guaranteed to be a full week of
excitement with the anticipation of seeing old friends and hopes
of meeting new friends as well. Contributions will once again
support California Burn Centers, Burn Foundations, Burn
Associations and most of all, Burn Survivors.
Special thanks to all who donate to the cause and those who
volunteer time to travel with the Rally caravan for the cause of
helping others. Quest wouldn’t exist without you and the purpose
you serve. Many will benefit from our efforts and we can all stand
proud of our mission and desire to help those affected by burn
injuries. If you wish to be part of this exciting and rewarding
experience, please contact Quest at (866) WE-QUEST.
Thank you and see you in May!
Photos of the tournament
and other Quest events
can be found at
www.firefightersquest.smugmug.com
Wednesday March 14, 2012
To our Tournament Partners
Sharil Fukuzaki
Deb
Dahmer
Selanee Henderson
Sheila Kelliher
Ayla Webb
To our Tournament Sponsors
Toni
Mucci
Mike Haney
To our T-Shirt Sponsors
To our Contest Sponsors
Mike
Haney
To our Tee Sponsors
Mitsubishi Cement
Lucerne Valley
760-248-5131
Arroyo Investments
Mike Haney
626-844-1441
Bob’s Big Boy
Burbank
818-843-9334
Firefighter Cancer Support
Network
Los Angeles
866-994-FCSN (3276)
The Buehler Family
Bill, Lorrie and Tinkerbell
Holmes Chiropractic
Burbank 818-843-1919
Go Green Home Improvement
Chatsworth 800-400-1600
Scott Jensen
H2O Power Wash & Steam
Burbank 818-972-2799
A-VENU.com
Seattle 800-992-8368
Shasta
La Paz Accounting
Tom’s Uniform
Alhambra
626-281-5341
Fox Studios
The French Family
George Oberhofer
Hoof n Paw Foundation
Hot Shield
Camarillo
310-710-2624
Wallace Propst
Belissimo Cellars / Lora Taylor
James Lave
A.V Hydro Center
Lancaster 661-948-GROW
Hooters
To our Raffle and Auction
Donors
Live Auction
Reagan Library
Fireman’s Brew
LA King’s
Pasadena Playhouse
Tony Mucci
Ontario Reign
Disneyland
Spirit Cruises
Sea Gypsy Motel
K1 Speed
Tolosa Winery
Mt Baldy Ski Resort
Pismo Golf
Callaway Winery Temecula
Heritage Square Museum
Raffle
Santa Anita Park
Taix French Restaurant
Dale & Carol Pesl
Smoke House Restaurant
Lewis Family Playhouse
Wildhorse Winery
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Scott French
Egyptian & Aero Theatres
Angeles National
Bradford Portraits
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Rowley Portraiture
Le Petit Chateau
Santa Barbara Museum
Play it Again Sports
Alex Theatre
La Mirada Theatre
Howl at the Moon
Festival of the Arts
Japanese/America Museum
Brent’s Deli
The Bear Pit
Skirball Cultural Center
Peterson Automotive
Museum
In & Out Burger
WBS (Mark Brown)
Medieval Times
Huntington Library
Angels Baseball Club
Skateland
Mountasia
Langer’s Delicatessen
Roger Dunn Golf Shops
Engine Co. No. 28
Restaurant
Roclord studios
WC ceramic class
Mexicali Cantina
Dodger’s Baseball
Massage Envy
Tony’s Auto Repair
Anonymous
Fox Studios
Someone Tom knows
Universal Studios
Glendale City CU
GearUSA
Sports Authority
To our Product Sponsors
To our in-kind services
Sponsors
LA City Air 1
11th Annual Mountain High Ski and Ride Day
Friday, February 10th proved to be yet
another phenomenal Mountain High Ski and
Ride Day! The wonderful weather and
spectacular snow provided for a great time
on the slopes. Once again, Michele Roy, CMA,
CFO, Senior Vice President of Mountain High
and her incredibly dedicated staff did an
outstanding job of hosting such a great event.
Together Quest and Mountain High raised
over $8,000.
The Quest booth was set up next to the
ticket windows and the boarders and skiers
lined up to buy tickets. They were also
greeted by the Shasta Girls, who handed out
drinks throughout the day. We can't ever
give enough thanks to Rick and the Shasta
Beverage Company who continue to
generously support Quest year after year.
There's no better way to start off the day
on the slopes with a good breakfast, and
Mountain High's food and beverage staff
certainly provided that. The excellent eggs,
bacon, potatoes, french toast, fruit, and
pastries fueled the riders and skiers for the
day.
The raffle drew a huge crowd of people
waiting for their numbers to be called by DJ
Dewey. The prizes were nothing small: boots,
bindings, helmets, movie memorabilia,
games, Los Angeles Kings Hockey tickets
(some GREAT seats too, I might add),
Mountain High passes, Burton apparel, wine
(for
the
adult
raffle
participants),
skateboards, snowboards and awesome gift
bags to name a few of the items.
Quest can't say enough thanks to all the
volunteers and the awesome staff at
Mountain High who continue to put on such
fantastic events year after year. We hope to
see you all at Mountain High next year as it's
going to be a great time!
Eric Rowley
FIREFIGHTERS QUEST
For Burn Survivors
Central Coast Golf Tournament
April 16
QUEST RALLY MAY 7—11
LA City v LA County Fish Off
May 29 & 30
GBC Family Camp Memorial
Day Weekend May 26—28
Mt Baldy Steak Fry
June 23
Rancho Cucamonga Car Show
June 24
World Burn Congress
Milwaukee WI Sept 12—15
Yes it is the 15th Annual running of Quest Rally 2012 which will be held May 7th – 11th covering 6 Counties –
Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara Counties, with Big Bear and Catalina as
well. 2012 marks a year where many changes are taking place, with not only Fire Departments, but mode of travel,
escorts, and personnel during the Rally. I will attempt to cover those areas and let you all be informed as much as
possible as to what needs to take place for Rally 2012 to be another success story as in past years. The breakdown for
Rally 2012 is as follows:
May 7th – High Desert, Inland Empire, Riverside, Mountain High, and Big Bear
May 8th – Orange County and Catalina
May 9th – San Gabriel Valley
May 10th – Pismo, Ventura and Santa Barbara
May 11th – San Fernando Valley and Galpin Ford.
Here are the changes that will be seen during Rally 2012:
First and foremost is the change required in the Los Angeles County Area. After a lengthy discussion with the
California Highway Patrol Southern Division Chief who covers the LA Area, new guidelines have been set. Through no
fault of Firefighters Quest, and implemented for this and future years, is the procedure by which we are allowed to be
escorted. This which will include the number of vehicles and personnel in the Quest entourage. The BIG change is that
if escort is allowed per the Division Chief there WILL BE NO MORE holding intersections. By that I mean in the past
the CHP held the entire intersection until the caravan passed through, but now effective this year if some make the green
and others do not, the group making the green will have to pull over and wait for the rest. This means that on
Wednesday, May 9th and Friday, May 11th, the Area Coordinator will have to allow even more time to travel from stop
to stop. There was an major incident about 2 years ago (unrelated to Quest) that caused this change, and Quest is subject
to this change or flat out NO ESCORT which then means NO RALLY in essence. As an additional part of this change,
the number of vehicles in the procession and number of volunteers needed will be reduced to help facilitate the added
time required to travel from stop to stop. For Rally 2012 there will be no more than 8 vehicles as part of the Quest
entourage, which will include the Engine or Truck used from one stop to the next. As for volunteers there will be
approximately 16-20 volunteers, including Burn Survivors, for the day to help in saving time gathering everyone into
vehicles so that we can stay on time as much as possible and HELP the CHP escort personnel. This is the only way I can
see to make the Rally a continued safe and a pleasant experience for ALL.
Second – There will be more flight time for Rally 2012, especially to Riverside County, with the GREAT continued
support of Air Methods after 14 years of allowing us to cover distances not easily done by vehicle and which allows
Quest to see everyone that wishes to participate. Mr. Roy Cox has been a GREAT Supporter of Firefighters Quest, and
allows Air Methods to provide the services needed to hit these other locations. All the stops in Riverside County will be
‘fly in’ before going to Mountain High and Big Bear, which means those schedules will need to be changed slightly
from the past. In short, looks like the entire day will be flying while the High Desert and Inland Empire does their thing.
We lost Norco Fire due to their contracting services with CAL Fire. With that being said, Santa Ana Fire now contracts
Fire Service with Orange County Fire Authority but they may still be a stop during the Rally on Tuesday, May 8 th. I
wish to express all the best to our fellow fire brothers and sisters who are going thru this very important change in the
Fire Service.
Third – On Friday May 11th, Firefighters Quest has the great honor in having the CSFA Horse-Drawn Steamer join
us for 2 stops the final day. First stop, if arranged and approved by Bob’s Big Boy who is a new supporter of Quest for
2012, will travel from the Burbank Restaurant on Riverside Drive to Warner Bros for lunch. Then the second stop is to
travel from the prescribed staging point to The Collection/Galpin Ford, with a new location for the dinner that the
Boeckmann’s do such an eloquent job hosting. The CSFA Steamer Team lost all their funding so in order for Dave
and Barbara Hubert and the others to participate in Community Events, their expenses need to be covered so the
Quest Board authorized funds to allow the CSFA Steamer to join Rally 2012 on Friday.
Fourth – Firefighters Quest has a new volunteer to be the liaison between the CHP and Firefighters Quest.
CHP Retired Asst. Chief Steve Webb made the mistake of mentioning to me that he would like to be a Quest
volunteer so I took him at his word. I suggested to the Board and it was approved that now Steve Webb is the
contact for all 4 Divisions and 13 Offices of the California Highway Patrol that cover the entire Area of the Rally.
All members of Quest welcome Steve Webb to the payroll - just kidding we don’t know what that word means.
Steve will take over my job which will allow me to stand back and take all the credit if good and none if bad.
As in every pre-Rally week, all Quest volunteers meet the Saturday before to assign members to teams, go
over extensively each day of the Rally, and pass out the Time/Route Schedules to each driver to review for the
coming week. This meeting will be held on Saturday, May 5th (celebrating Cinco de Mayo) at Glendale Fire
Station #21, 421 Oak St., Glendale. All those that are planning on going on the Rally in total or part are highly
encouraged to attend if at all possible. Break out your calendars and start the wonderful process of decision
making.
Rumor has it that there might be some surprises for everyone that attend the
Rally, like the Annual Charity Golf Tournament? Whatever gave those people
that idea? After 14 years I guess you need to add some enjoyment for all, even
to those die hards that keep coming back for more. All I can say is you will
have to show to see if it is really true.
I personally am looking forward again to seeing all the Fire Departments
that keep Firefighters Quest alive, and instills hope and comfort for Burn
Survivors, and allows the funding for Burn Centers, AMA, WBC, Camps,
Educational Programs, Burn Prevention materials to all those that need it.
Thanks to each of you and the Fire Chiefs for allowing Firefighters Quest to
come into your home away from home for a common goal of raising funds for
Burn Survivors and Burn Centers.
See you on the Rally.
Yours in Service,
Scott French
Rally 2012 Chairman
Quest Website Now Has Paypal
Craig Hammond, Eric Rowley, and Emmanual Lessis
have teamed up with Mikel Bullis at UnionCentrics.com
to bring our webpage up to date. First thing to change,
right at press time, is the addition of PayPal. You can
now make a donation from the website!
www.firefightersquest.org
As Quest prepares for the running of Rally 2012, all
contacts have been made with the 4 divisions and 13
offices of the CHP that covers the annual Quest Rally.
As in prior years there are some new personnel at the
CHP and we work diligently to make it as painless as
possible for these individuals, and to provide the best of
our professionalism for the elite of the State of
California. And apparently it works because the CHP
keeps coming back for more to make a great event
GREAT.
This year Firefighter’s Quest greets 2 new Division
Chiefs – Division Chief Mike Champion from Inland
Division, and Division Chief Steve Beeuwsaert from
Southern Division. Welcome Chief Champion and
Chief Beeuwsaert to Firefighters Quest. Along with
these 2 New Chief’s, Quest also has a new volunteer in
CHP Retired Asst. Chief Steve Webb, who while in
retirement has agreed to become a volunteer for Quest
and has taken over as the CHP Liaision for Firefighters
Quest. This entails making all contacts necessary for the
Rally with the CHP, obtaining the schedules/mapping
from each area coordinator, and then once approved
distributing same to ALL the offices and contacts for
the CHP where the Quest Rally 2012 will travel.
Please note that some serious changes to the
Rally will need to be implemented in the
Southern Division on Wednesday, May 9th and
Friday, May 11th. Due to circumstances NOT
related to Quest, we have imposed limits not
only on the type of escort services provided,
but also in the number of people able to attend
those days, and the numbers of vehicles in the
parade itself from Firefighters Quest. This is
due not because of Firefighters Quest or our
volunteers at all, but the restrictions will
include Firefighters Quest for the near future.
I have been instructed by Division Chief
Beeuwsaert of Southern Divison of the
guidelines in order for him to approve the
escort, and ALL Firefighters Quest personnel
will need to adhere to these guidelines.
Firefighters Quest has a great track record with the
CHP and we intend to NOT blow it at this stage in our
life after 14+ years. We have maintained such a great
relationship with the CHP that every year personnel
give us a good word when they return to the office. So
with that being said lets keep it up and have another
great year!
I will keep you all appraised of the status as it gets
close to the awesome and SWEET week.
NOTE: As in every year, Quest personnel meet
the Saturday before which in this case will be
Saturday, May 5th at Glendale Fire Station 21, 421
Oak St., 91202 to go over the entire week schedule,
had out all maps/schedules to drivers and assign
personnel. If you wish to attend the Rally I highly
recommend you attend this meeting since the new
guidelines as I have been instructed by the CHP will
be discussed and implemented.
C.S.F.A. Horse Drawn Steamer
To Join Rally 2012
As Quest prepares for Rally 2012, I would like to welcome back the CSFA Horse-Drawn Steamer after
a very busy 2011 schedule. Dave and Barbara Hubert and the volunteers are eagerly awaiting another great
year with Firefighters Quest. Working with these great people is always a joy and we are very happy that
they all be joining us again for another great year raising funds for burn survivors, burn centers, and all the
other programs that are part of Quest. Even though there have been some major changes with the CSFA
team like no more funding, the Quest Board authorized some funds to be allocated towards obtaining the
team again for Rally 2012. Firefighters Quest will utilize the CSFA team for 2 stops on the last day of
Rally 2012, which is Friday, May11th. The stops tentatively scheduled will be from Bob’s Big Boy on
Riverside Drive in Burbank (who are supporting Quest this year thru proceeds from their Restaurant in
April, August, and December) and we will travel from there to Warner Bros. for lunch and then the last
stop of the day and week will be Galpin Ford. A new location is being worked out for the dinner/stop and
has not been finalized as of yet. I am quite confident that everyone will have just as much fun as in past
years.
Again welcome back CSFA, the Hubert’s, and all the volunteers that make up such a super group of
people. We truly missed you in 2011.
Firefighters Quest Changes
In the last couple months the Quest Board has made some changes and brought on new volunteers who
wanted to get involved in our mission. These changes I feel will not only make Quest more responsive to
the needs of the public, but also make Firefighters Quest stronger in the long run. These changes are listed
below and have been implemented with the last month before our real busy season:
Emmanuel Lessis/Pasadena Fire – Website Chair with Craig Hammond assisting. Anything
related to events for fundraising, etc that are to be posted on website will be sent to
Emmanuel at [email protected]
Craig Hammond/Board Member – Orange County Liaison with ALL hospitals/OCBA.
[email protected]
Eric Rowley/Burbank Fire – Photo/Video Chair for ALL Quest events. Anything dealing in this
Area can be sent to or obtained by contacting Eric at [email protected]
Bill Buehler – Liaison with Inland Burn Institute [email protected]
Leonard Zlotorowicz – Liaison with Arrowhead Burn/San Bernardino [email protected]
Steve Webb – Liaison with California Highway Patrol
Quest has also laid the groundwork thru Paypal to allow donations to be made to Firefighters Quest on
our website using Paypal. The application was filed and received with the computer jargon to install thru
our host programmer. This should be up and running shortly and we will keep you posted as much as
possible on this 22nd century accomplishment.
Quest will keep you up-to-date as other important additions materialize. Check our facebookpage for
them. facebook.com/questforburnsurvivors
Take Care and be safe.
Scott French
Firefighters Quest wishes to thank everyone who
contributed to this issue, including photos by Eric
Rowley, Emmanual Lessis, Herb Altman, and Rick
Canter. The Quest Report is published as needed by
Firefighters Quest For Burn Survivors, a tax exempt
nonprofit organization. For more information visit our
website at www.firefightersquest.org.
Rick McCarter, Editor
Don’t forget
the GBC Family
Camp
Memorial
Weekend
May 25 thru 28.
Contact
Elaine Rojas at
818-676-4743.
2011
Cincinnati
From a letter by Linda Garcia,
MA, CCLS,
Grossman Burn Center
From a letter by Ken Putnam
Burn Survivor
The next couple of days were just as exciting as the others and I kept hearing all these Burn Survivor’s stories
that kept me in tears or a lump in my throat to the point I could not really talk. It was a very humbling experience
for me to see some of these Burn Survivors with such horrific burns/scars to be able to get up and talk about their
burns and how they are making life worth while for them!! I just can’t really put into words the feelings I left with
after attending this WBC. As Herb asked me, “ Putt are you hooked on WBC?” The answer is yes I am!!
Our second main Speaker was Sarah Bazey a professional figure skater, a beauty queen, a very successful
business woman and a Burn Survivor. She was burnt in a helicopter crash and received burns to 40% of her
body. After recovery she continued her career in the concrete construction field, has gone back to beauty pageants
and is doing very well in them too!! She is not afraid to
show her scars and the next day a lady got up and told
her story about going out and buying a bathing suit
because of Sarah Bazey’s story. She hadn’t worn a
bathing suit in 40 years.
Don’t forget this year’s
WBC
in Milwaukee WI
Sept 12—15
A Saturday Shopping Lesson
By Alisa Christensen
My friend Paul and I were at the Burnside Bridge street mart, wandering through the makeshift Kasbah, looking at
trinkets, art, clothing, what have you, listening to carolers. I wanted a cup o’ coffee and not being able to walk and
drink at the same time (right hand can’t hold a cup, left hand has to hold a cane) we stopped at a big cement rectangle.
I sat, Paul stood and Foxy the little dog between us soon attracted the attention of a couple kids, a blonde girl 2-ish
and her older brother, about 4. He asked if they could pet my dog, I said yes, and then turned my attention back to our
conversation. At some point the kids noticed us, they weren’t frightened, still calmly sitting with Foxy at our feet, just
staring, fascinated; probably never having seen burn scars. We ignored them.
Suddenly the father is the smacking his toddler daughter in the face! Hitting fast over and over! Blondie is
dumbfounded, she can’t believe it! The toddler gives her father an angry look that clearly says, "STOP! What's wrong
with you!" then stands her ground and keeps looking. I can’t speak -- It’s a brain damage symptom; when shocked by
horrid behavior, when I need my voice the most, I freeze. Couldn’t verbalize or budge, a statue lost in time.
I was 3, crossing a busy street holding hands with Mom. I saw a funny little guy coming towards us, he was short and
small, like an eight or nine year old, but obviously older than my Mom. His face was silly, his back crooked,
"Mommy, look at the Funny Man!" Delighted, I pointed him out. My mother wrenched my arm so hard she pulled me
off my feet and dragged me fast across the road. I couldn’t understand what she was doing! "But Momma, look at the
Funny Man!" I insisted. Why wouldn’t she look at him? And why was she being so mean to me! I still remember that
incident and it happened more than 40 years ago.
The Monster didn’t ever make eye contact with us. He must have slapped his daughter 10 times, all the while furtively
whispering "Stop it! Stop staring! Stop staring!" The Monster dragged his kids across the tiny alley and the parents
turned their backs, presumably buying food.
Why couldn’t my mother have simply said, "We don’t point at people, sweetheart. That’s called Bad Manners." I
would have understood that concept. And why couldn’t the Monster have said anything to his kid! From her POV evil
Daddy had just lost his mind.
The kids are still looking at us. That man had no
nose! No ears! He was wearing dark sunglasses,
his hands a twisted gnarl of frozen fingers, he
was downright mesmerizing! They weren’t
frightened and they weren’t bothering anyone.
"He was in a fire," I called out to them. "He’s OK
now." Paul turned and nodded his head. "It’s OK
to ask what happened."
The parents realized we were talking and quickly
got their kids moving away from us. The adults
never looked at either of us, never spoke a word.
Blondie and bro were still making eye contact,
genuinely curious as they were dragged off.
Alisa Christensen of Portland runs Portland
Burn Survivors, Inc. portlandburnsurvivors.org
ORANGE COUNTY
Thursday, March 1st marked the 1st Annual Marianne
Cinat Memorial Lectureship with a presentation by Tam N
Pham, MD. on the “Reflections on Burn Care”. However,
before the lecture colleagues, friends and burn survivors
gathered at the Douglas Hospital Healing Gardens for a
special tree dedication ceremony in remembrance of Dr.
Cinat. The faculty and staff of the UC Irvine Regional
Burn Center presented a warm and moving ceremony
reflecting on the generous and loving nature Dr. Cinat
displayed, not only to her patients, but to all she would
come in contact with. The personal stories shared by
others were a testament to Dr. Cinat’s commitment and
passion to helping others with little or no regard to
herself. With her passing just a short 9 months ago, it
was evident her absence is still hard for many to
accept. As patrons stroll through the Healing Garden
they are now able to stop and reflect at the tree
which was dedicated to Dr. Cinat. Her memory will
live forever.
Craig Hammond
It has been another unusual but a good year for us, and we can’t figure out where the time has gone. Bill’s 15th
“Burnaversary” came and went as we celebrated at Pismo Beach for several days. While on a shopping expedition we
came across a picture of Greg Leptich, one of Quest’s biggest supporters from the Gold Coast area. He was doing more
charity work.
On a very warm day last summer we were honored to attend Ron Ibaven’s
retirement from Warner
Brothers Fire Department. A really nice man, he also was a great help to
Quest. We usually have a
wonderful lunch at the studio on our last day of the rally. On one
especially busy day as we
entered the Warner Bros lot, as we rounded a corner there on the
side of a building was the
largest Quest banner you have ever seen - made possible
because of Ron. And every year
they put the banner up for us. Ron played a large part in
getting Quest’s name out there. We
will miss seeing him this year, but wish him and his
lovely family the best. Happy Travels.
There is an Original Bob’s Big Boy in
Burbank. Bob’s donates a percentage of their total
sales to charity. In the past several years
all our friends and family would request that
Firefighters Quest be considered
one of their charities, but never heard anything about it until
this particular day when we
stopped in for lunch and noticed Quest’s name on the back of the
menu. We are now one of
Bob’s Big Boy 2012 deserving local charities, thanks to the Burbank
Fire Department for
lending a helping hand in their decision. The months that we receive the
donations this
year are April, August & December. So if you are in Burbank/Toluca Lake
near 4211
Riverside Drive, please stop by for a Big Boy Hamburger and support Bob’s
Charitable
work and Quest also. If you are a car buff, they have a car show every Friday night.
You can see a
lot of great cars there.
This year we
attended Mountain High Ski Day in February; some of our grandkids and a few of their friends
wanted to go snowboarding. It turned out to be a fabulous day, there was enough snow on the ground to entertain them,
warm enough to be comfortable, and lots of sun for sunburn. They all had a great time. Again the staff in at Mount High
in Wrightwood were so accommodating and friendly. We sold Quest apparel and raffle tickets in our booth along with
Jeff & Eileen Howe, Craig Hammond, Mike & Elaine Rojas and other friends. The raffle had a lot of prizes, and the
crowd seemed to enjoy themselves. We missed Michele Roy, who was out of town. She is another enthusiastic friend of
Quest. Thanks Mountain High your donation will help so many people with burns.!!
Until next time, please stay safe and have a great summer.
Take care,
Bill & Sue
The
Santa Barbara County
Quest is
looking forward to another great Rally in 2012. We have
already made contact with Santa Barbara City Fire
Department, who has agreed to host the finale BBQ on
Rally day. The Rally will start in Santa Maria and makes its
way through the county with stops at each fire agency and
will include a stop at the Santa Barbara Harbor for a harbor
cruise with the Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol. Another great
year is on the way!
Howard Orr
Santa Barbara County Quest Coordinator
Buenos Dias everyone, como estas! (Spanglish) I think that
means "good morning, how are you" (just trying to work on
getting bilingual pay). Anyway, hope all is well with
everyone. I'm sure everyone is looking forward to this year’s
Rally as much as I am. Once again (thank God) March Fire Dept.
is hosting a breakfast for the Quest group as well as all the
Riverside County
participants in
. We are going to try
and get everyone to meet at March FD for the check presentations
and photos. Chris Fowler came up with that great idea to save
driving time and money for the Quest personnel since they are
flying in this time( thanks again Mercy Air for all you do). I
think it will work out great and I'm soooo happy I don't have to
fill out those CHP map direction pages, he he he. Not much else
to report from Riverside County, take care everyone see ya in
about month or so.
Mike Matheson
Riverside County Coordinator
San Gabriel/San Fernando Report
Initial contacts are being made for the 2012 QUEST
RALLY. It’s hard to believe that this will be our 16th
year conducting the RALLY. Thanks for all the
support that you have given me making the
Coordinators Job as stress-free as possible. This year’s
RALLY will be conducted on May 7th through the
11th. The QUEST RALLY is penciled in to be rolling
through the SAN GABRIEL VALLEY on Wednesday
May 9th and SAN FERNANDO VALLEY will be on
Friday May 11th. If I haven’t contacted you already, I
will be very soon. Let’s try to keep the streak alive and
make this a record breaking year.
Remember that if your Department or People that
you serve are in need of “QUEST” services, the
organization is here for us to help any Burn Survivor,
and Survivor family needs. Just give me, or any
QUEST Volunteer a call and we will get the ball
rolling.
Looking forward to seeing everyone on this year’s
RALLY !!!
Stu Stefani
SGV/SFV Coordinator
Inland Empire
It has been a great Summer here with about one day of Winter each week. Ya gotta love Southern California!!! We are once again
looking forward to the 2012 Quest on Monday May 7 th.
This year the Firefighters Quest for Burn Survivors board chose to support the Burn Institute-Inland Empire and sent eleven burn
survivor children to their Winter camp. We at Quest are very happy to be a major supporter of the Burn Institute-Inland Empire. And don’t
for their Gold Tournament on April 20 th. Call their office at 909 307-3377 for more information. Lets here it for their Director, Sherri
Laffey, who has been great to work with. The Burn Institute and Quest are truly partners for Burn Survivors.
Rancho Cucamonga Firefighters are hosting their Annual Car Show at the Red Hill Community Park on June 24 th with all proceeds
benefiting the Quest. The cars are parked around the beautiful lake with many booths selling food, clothing and automobile products.
There is also a D.J. and a 50/50 drawing. Don’t forget, June 24 th at Red Hill Park, 7484 Vineyard Ave, Rancho Cucamonga. The park is
just South of Baseline Blvd. Come by the Quest Booth and say hi to me and Tinkerbell. My sincere thanks to my good friend PIO Kelley
Donaldson for keeping me informed about all the activities at Rancho.
Chino Valley Fire District has come up with a great idea for keeping the community informed, they are now on Facebook. They
launched the Facebook page to help keep the public informed about the latest news coming from the Fire District and to provide residents
with valuable safety information in a timely manner. They have a link from their website at www.chinovalleyfire.org to the Facebook page.
My thanks to Massiel Ladron De Guevara, their PIO, for that information.
Do not forget the Mt Baldy Fire Departments 55 th Annual Steak Fry on June 23rd at the Mt Baldy Trout Ponds. The event begins at 3pm
till 9pm with a Gigantic Raffle, including a trip to Hawaii and a band. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children. Chief Bill Stead is
one of the original founding members of the Quest and has been there every year with a rig and his support. For more information, call the
department at 909 982-1213.
Both Tinkerbell and I hope to see you on this years Firefighters Quest for Burn Survivors, May 7 th thru 11th.
Bill Buehler
Inland Empire Coordinator
www.mttorch.com
[email protected]
29 Annual
Grossman Burn Center
Burn SurvivorS’ Holiday reunion
th
Derek Thomas,
looking good as always,
addressed the crowd at the Holiday Reunion
On December 3, 2011, burn survivors, their family members, with the doctors and
staff of the Grossman Burn Center and West Hills Hospital gathered to welcome in the
holiday season. Santa Claus, Dickens Carolers, photos by a decorated tree, caricature
drawings, a silent auction, and a meal prepared by Burn Center staff and the West Hills
Hospital cafeteria were offered to those attending.
This annual event was held at West Hills Hospital for the second year. Members of
Quest and Firefighters from Los Angeles, Glendale, Pasadena, and the California
Department of Forestry joined in the celebration. These Firefighters, all who share a very
special relationship with burn survivors, welcomed and celebrated with the guests.
The program, Strength in Support, opened with the Los Angeles Fire Department’s
Color Guard led by a bagpiper from the Pasadena Fire Department. Dr. Richard and Dr.
Peter Grossman welcomed guests, while two survivors and their families honored their
families and friends who supported them during their time of great trial. The message of
the Holiday Reunion - a Celebration of Life - was clear to all.
A special thank you goes to Firefighters Quest for Burn Survivors for their ongoing
support of this annual event, as well as their support for the other programs of The
Grossman Burn Center.
Congratulations to our Paris Raffle winner
Dr. Matt Young! Enjoy your trip!
American Burn Association Annual Conference
For over a decade, Firefighters Quest has supported professional staff from the local southern California burn centers to go to the American Burn Association annual conference. 2012 is no different. This year the conference will be held in Seattle, Washington. Quest, along
with the Circle of Care Burn Foundation plans to host a meal for the staff of the local burn centers. After all, they all do the same thing – take
care of burn patients and help them on the road to survivorship. Supporting burn centers and survivors, that is what Quest is all about. The
next newsletter will bring you all the details of this year’s event.
World Burn Congress
This year Phoenix Society’s World Burn Congress is held in Milwaukee, WI September 12 – 15, 2012. Imagine the city energized with
burn survivors from all over the United States and beyond. Quest has dedicated funds to go to this yearly conference. If you are a burn survivor, call 818 612-0456 for your application to go to this yearly reunion. We look forward to hearing about the inspirational moments at this
congress. Grant applications will be available by the first of June 2012.
Patient and Family Assistance
Quest continues to be active in supporting burn survivors and their families. This support is given in so many ways to so many different
individuals. Thank you to burn center staff who are advocates for those in need. You are our connection to those who need assistance. From
therapy to a pair of shoes, Quest needs you to help us fulfill our mission of supporting burn survivors.
Firefighters Quest
for Burn Survivors
Final 2011 Levels of Giving Report
Fire Chiefs Club
$10,000.00 and above in monetary
donations
Central Coast FF’s Golf Tourn.
Mt High Resort
Deputy Chiefs Club
$5,001.00-$9,999.00 in monetary donations
Glendale Firefighters Club
LA City / LA County Fishoff
Order of Eagles #4181
Propst, Wallace
Walt Disney Volunt”EARS”
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Battalion Chiefs Club
$1,001.00-$5,000.00 in monetary donations
Bear Valley Firemen’s Assoc.
Beverly Hills Firefighters
Big Bear City Firefighters Assoc.
Burbank Firefighters Assoc.
Burbank Glendale Pasadena Airport FFs
Fox Entertainment
Los Angeles City Firemens Credit Union
March AFB Firefighters
Montecito Firefighters
Monterey Park Firefighters
Oxnard Firefighters Assoc.
Pasadena Firefighters Assoc.
Rancho Cucamonga Prof. FF’s Assoc
Roy, Michele
San Bernardino County Firefighters
San Marino Firefighters Assoc
Santa Fe Springs Firefighters
Stead, Bill & Carole
Ventura County Dep. Sheriffs Assoc.
West Hills Hospital
Wrightwood Chamber of Commerce
Captains Club
$501.00-$1,000.00 in monetary donations
Alhambra Firefighters Assoc.
Anaheim Firefighters Assoc.
Arcadia Firefighters Assoc.
Brea Firefighters Assoc.
Buehler, Bill & Lorrie
Carpinteria / Summerland Firefighters
Costa Mesa Firefighters Assoc
Davey, Fuji
Dyrness, Tom & Vicki
Evans, Desmond
Fawnskin Firefighters Assoc.
Fillmore Fire Department
Fischbeck, George & Susanne
Garden Grove Firefighters Assoc
Haney, Mike
LA Firemen’s Relief Assoc.
LaVerne Firefighters Assoc.
Ontario Firefighters Assoc.
Orange County Prof FF’s Assoc.
Payne, Kenny
Popov, Nikol
Santa Barbara City Firefighters Assoc.
Santa Barbara County Firefighters
Assoc
San Gabriel City Firemen’s Assoc
Santa Ana Firemen’s Assoc.
Santa Paula Firefighters Assoc
Shasta / Tony Mucci
Sierra Madre Volunteer FF’s Assoc
Simon, Jeff & Christine
So. Pasadena Firefighters
Teagle Optometry
Ventura City Firefighters Assoc.
Villasenor, Ray
Wray, John & Donna
Engineers Club
$251.00-$500.00 in monetary
donations
1-800 Board Up
Arroyo Investment Group
Assoc. for Paramedics & Firefighters
Baldy View Elementary School
Big Bear Lake Prof. Firefighters
Burbank Employees
Burbank Firefighters
Burroughs, Rick & Carol
Chino Fireman’s Assoc.
Chino Valley Fire Foundation
Chino Valley Independent Fire Distr.
Davis, Joanne
Detro, Martine
Downey Firefighters
Fountain Valley Firefighters Assoc.
Fort Irwin Firefighters
Grossman Burn Center
Guadalupe Fire Department Assoc.
Haney, Mike
Hemet City Firefighters Assoc.
Huntington Beach Firefighters Assoc
Jernegan, Chris & Alison
Laguna Beach Firefighters
LA City/LA County “Fish Off”
LA Firemen’s Credit Union
Litchauer, Frank
Lompoc Firefighters Assoc.
Los Alamitos Firefighters
Mercy Air
Mitchell, Margaret
Monrovia Firefighters Assoc
Montebello Fireefighters Assoc
Murrieta Firefighters Assoc.
Newport Beach Firefighters Assoc.
O’Malia, Michael & Deborah
Santa Barbara City Firefighters
Santa Maria Firefighters
Stefani, Stu
Vandenberg AFB Firefighters
Firefighters Club
$51.00-$250.00 in monetary donations
Altman, Herb
Apple Valley Firefighters
Bench, Chris
BJ’s Brewery
Brown, Accenter
Campos, J.
Chew, Ken & Mae
Contreras, Don & Cindy
Corral, Roberta & Francisca
Franklin, Todd
French Family
Glendale Police Officers
Grimes, Brian
Gulli, Ron
Guppy, Richard
Harris, Dave & Karen
Hartman, Bill & Diane
Hoonanian, Mania
Howard, Steve & Melinda
Howe, Jeff & Eileen
Huntington Beach Fire Mgmt Assoc.
Jensen, Kirk & Linda
Krakowski, Ray & Trish
Lees, Scott
Lehrer Brillenperfektion Werks, Inc.
Leptich, Greg
Luna, Charles
Lytle, Jim
Medina, Alejandro
Montclair Firefighters Assoc.
National Beverage/Shasta/Tony Mucci
Nelson, Robin
Nicola, Tommy & Stacy
Norco Firefighters Assoc.
Orange City Firefighters
Padilla, Michael
Pompa Jr., Joe
Rix, Kelli
Rojas, Mike & Elaine
Santa Barbara County
Dispatch
Schaeffer, Julie
Smith, William
Snyder, Duke & Katina
Standish, Mark & Laura
Susca, Danny
Torstenbo, Ross & Marilyn
Voltz, Art
Vosler, Scott & Lynn
Wright, Don
Young, Matt
Zimmerman, Tara
Recruit Club
$1.00 - $50.00 in monetary
donations
Austin, Scott
Boothby, Robert
Costanzo, Vicki Jo
Gammora, Steven
Gibbs, James
Hall, Steven
Hedberg, Barry
Ibaven, Ron
Jones, Andre
Kennedy, Nancy
Lee, David Kwok Bun
Miller, Florence
Nasca, Maria
Rittmiller, Terry & Debra
Russo, Michael & Isabel
Stavros, Chris
Stephens, Scott
Taitt, Earl
Thomas, Paula
Tootle, Bonnie
Tripp, Guy & Tracey
Van Ornum, John & Joyce
Young, J.
Sponsors Club
Donations of In - Kind services
1-800- Board-Up
Angeles National Golf Course
Arroyo Investment Group /
Mike Haney
BJ’s Brewery
Bradford Renaissance Portraits
Brown, Dave
Burbank Firefighters
Association
Davey, Fuji
Dennis Bolton Enterprises,
Inc.
DirecTV
Durban, Mark
Fabricated Glass / Jr Holtz
Fox Entertainment
French, Scott
Galpin Ford
Glendale Firefighters Club
Glendale Police Officers Association
Grimes, Brian
Grizzly Manor Café – Big Bear
Grossman Burn Center
Holmes Chiropractic
Hoof N Paw Foundation
Hot Shield USA
LA City/LA County “Fish Off”
LA Firemen’s Credit Union
Lapaz, Gordon & Henry CPA’s
LaVerne Fire Department
LaVerne Firefighters
Los Alamitos Firefighters
Los Alamitos Fire Department
Los Angeles City Fire Department
Los Angeles Dodgers
Latta, Jon & Jessie
Mercy Air
Monarch Dunes Golf Course
Monterey Park Firefighters
Monterey Park Fire Department
Mt. High Resort
Mucci, Tony
National Beverage / Shasta / Tony
Mucci
Nordine, Jaime
Pasadena Firefighters Association
Propst, Wallace
Rowley Portraiture
Roy, Michele
Ruiz, Andy
Sam Brown Shields
San Bernardino County Firefighters
Santa Maria Firefighters
Sea Gypsy Motel
Sterling USA – Jon Latta
Taylor, Lora
Teagle Optometry
Tolosa Winery
Tomlinson, Guy
Zlotorowicz, Leonard
This is where QUEST donations, funds
raised, and Grants have been
disbursed
September 2011 thru
February 2012
Grants - (ABA, WBC)
$1,643.91
Assistance—(Individuals)
$7,438.46
Assistance - (Grossman
Burn Center, Circle of
Care, Inland Empire,
Federation Burn
Foundation, Children’s
Burn Foundation).
$11,019.72
TOTAL disbursed from
September2011 to
February 2012
$20,102.09
It is not our intent to
overlook any of our
benefactors. If you find an
error in our levels of giving
report, please contact us so
that we may correct it.
Thank you!
Firefighters Quest for Burn Survivors
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
GLENDALE, CA
PERMIT NO. 01706
1146 N Central Ave #398
Glendale, CA 91202
Printing services for the Quest Report are provided by:
(818) 982-1800
Burn Survivors, their families and friends are encouraged to come and be part of a
special time of sharing concerns, questions and information.
As a participant we welcome your experience and support for others.
Every third Thursday of each month at
12 noon to 1:30 p.m.
UC Irvine Medical Center
5th floor of the New University Hospital
Conference Room 5843
(Same floor as the Burn Unit next to the Neuro Science Unit)
Light refreshments will be served.
We look forward to seeing you!