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Thursday, May 15, 2008

Teen Gives Cash To Victims of Trigo Fire

By Laura Nesbitt
Mountain View Telegraph
      Because displaced victims of the Trigo Fire need the money more than he does, 14-year-old Jeffrey Davila gave up his vacation cash.
       “You know what? There are kids who are going to need it a lot more than me,” said Jeffrey, an eighth-grader at Jimmy Carter Middle School in Albuquerque.
       The Davila family could see the smoke from the Trigo Fire from their home in Albuquerque when it began April 15 on the west side of the Manzano Mountains.
       At dinner one night, Osman Davila, Jeffrey's father, told the family he was contributing money through his employer, JPR Decorative Gravel, an Albuquerque company, to Richard and Lynnette Walker, two Estancia teachers who lost their home in the fire.
       JPR Decorative Gravel is a vendor for Mountainair Concrete and Gravel, owned by Pamela and Dave Pettingill.
       When Jeffrey heard his father was contributing money, he ran upstairs to grab his piggy bank and emptied the contents into a bag.
       “I hope the money is used for food and clothes and stuff they need so they don't feel so down,” Jeffrey said about the displaced kids.
       When Pamela Pettingill got to work last Wednesday morning she found several large bags of clothing and a bag full of money on the desk.
       Pettingill told employee Rhonda Silva to count the contents of the bag, and that's when she found the bag full of about $100 in coins.
       Pamela took all the money to Janice Barela, administrative assistant at the Estancia schools, to give to the Walkers and the children displaced by the fire.
       “Between tears I explained to Janice that the generosity of this young man was beyond belief,” Pamela Pettingill said.
       “I hope my donation helps. It's hard to start all over from scratch,” the 14-year-old said.
       The community's generosity for the victims of the Trigo Fire does not stop there.
       A free benefit concert, car show, food and raffle will be held Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Ten Points General Store on South 14, or N.M. 337. All proceeds will go to the victims of the fire.
       When Gary Reynolds, Ernest Gonzales and Rick Lavoie found out about the fire, they all decided to contribute.
       “We know what it's like to be down on your luck,” said Gonzales, who owns Ten Points.
       The show will feature Southwest Wind, Two Fat Telle, Rod Owen Band, Molton Band, Daniel Boling, Michael and Donna McCoy, the East Mountain High School Band and the Manzano High School Band, Reynolds said. Music includes rock 'n' roll, bluegrass, country, '70s and '80s music and folk.
       There will be a trailer set up for donations of household items and other goods.
       “Everything we make off it goes to the victims. Basically, come out and have a good time and donate,” Gonzales said.
   

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