Rotary Provides Camp Fire Victims With Backpacks, School Supplies

BUTTE COUNTY, CA — As more than 4,000 students from Paradise and neighboring Camp Fire-ravaged Butte County communities attended their "second first day of school" this year, many had brand-new backpacks and school supplies thanks to the efforts of Rotary clubs near and far. In an effort led by Rotary Club of Durham, students who lost their homes and their schools in the historically devastating Camp Fire were provided the supplies they needed to start attending school again after three weeks of canceled classes.

“They’ve lost their schools but not their hope,” said Butte County Superintendent of Schools Tim Taylor on Dec. 3, the second first day of school. “We are Butte schools strong and we are back.”

The Paradise Unified School District was especially hard hit by the Camp Fire. Four of its nine schools were completely destroyed and all but one — Cedarwood Elementary in Magalia — were majorly damaged.

On Dec. 3, Paradise students returned to the classroom but at churches, malls and other schools in Oroville, Durham and Chico.

“On Nov. 8 our world changed to a world we can’t even imagine,” said PUSD Superintendent Michelle John. “But our school district is not buildings, it is the students and the parents and the teachers.”

For the students, returning to school is a return to normalcy, it’s their life, one Butte County educator said.

With support from Rotary Clubs across California, the Rotary Club of Durham worked alongside school faculty and superintendents including Taylor and John to ensure the students had what they needed to return to the classroom.

"This means more to our students and families than you can possibly imagine,” an assistant principal of a Paradise school told the Rotary Club. “One mother of five kids came up to me in tears. She was so happy that she wasn't going to have to figure out all of this on her own. Not only does this save these families money, but it saves them the stress of going out and getting everything while trying to figure out everything else in their personal life.”

Rotary Club of Durham is still collecting donations on GoFundMe toward the effort. At least 2,400 backpacks and back-to-school kits have already been handed out to fire affected-students in Butte County, with more school supplies in the works.

California State Superintendent of Schools Tom Torlakson, who was on hand to help welcome Butte County students back to school, said that statewide in November, some 1 million students missed school for wildfire-related reasons.

“We’re going to help find the money to rebuild these schools,” Torlakson said.

Here are some other ways groups are rallying around California fire victims:

• Sheriff's Office Fundraiser Will Provide 'Bikes For Butte'
• Danville Church, Schools Raise $62K For Camp Fire Victims
• California Wildfires: Dutch Bros Raises Money For Nonprofits
• How To Help Victims Of California Wildfires
• Trancas Market Extends Holiday Cheer To Woolsey Fire Victims

And Patch learned just this week that through the end of January, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants is donating a portion of every reservation made at any of the company's California locations to CalFund.Org, up to $25,000, for wildfire recovery and relief.

“Kimpton is Golden State born and raised, and they know the need for support and healing goes on long after the flames go out,” a company representative said.

Photos via GoFundMe, a Patch promotional partner