Spurred into action by the needs of the thousands of people impacted by the ongoing, devastating wildfires in Northern California, reigning Miss San Benito County Megan Ford and California High School Rodeo Association District 4 Queen Ashley Galdos called on San Benito County residents to lend a helping hand on Friday, Sept. 18. And help they did — donating nearly $2,000, 500 pounds of food and another 1,000 pounds of goods and toiletries.
Dressed in their western ware, complete with hats, jeans, boots and royalty sashes, young ladies positioned themselves at 2 p.m. Friday near Ace Hardware and McDonald’s on Airline Highway, holding signs encouraging people to help victims of the Butte and Valley fires. They sought cash, gift cards, blankets, clothes, bottled water, non-perishable food, sheets and pillows, which they planned to take to a fire recovery center during the weekend.
“Thank you so much to everybody in San Benito County that came out to donate towards the fire victims!” Ford, a San Benito High School graduate, said in a message posted on her Facebook page. She also thanked Ace Hardware, which donated a $100 gift card to the cause in addition to letting Ford and Galdos set up a donation station in front of the store.
Later on Friday evening, Ford and Galdos went to the San Benito High School football game, where they received another $500 in donations from the Baler and Los Gatos football fans.
“As a community we came together to help the people who need the most right now,” Ford said. “I want to say thank you to all the people who took the time to bring the donations.”
Galdos, a sophomore at SBHS, expressed her appreciation to the people who donated food, money, gift cards and other items to the cause and thanked Hollister Police Chief David Westrick for promoting the effort on social media. Round Table Pizza brought her and Ford two pizzas for dinner while they were seeking donations.
“It was great,” Galdos said on Facebook. “Thanks to all the people that waved, smiled and honked at us while we were on the side of the road advertising what we had going on.” She also thanked her and Ford’s parents, “who helped out the whole day.
“It was wonderful getting to see the community come together help out the people in Middletown, CA by donating what they could,” Galdos said, adding that she, Ford and their parents planned to travel to Middletown on Saturday to deliver the donations.Â