Willow Glen Resident

News

Kiwanis, community rally together to replace scouting gear lost in fire

By Beth Shapiro

Be prepared--that's the Boy Scout motto, but nothing could have prepared Troop 373 for what happened to its supply shed last October.

After a 5.6 earthquake hit the area on Oct. 30, the Scouts were in shock to find their supply shed burned to the ground. The jolt knocked items around and ultimately caused the fire.

First aid equipment, water filters, stoves, compasses and ropes were destroyed in the fire. The only things left undamaged were four filthy Dutch ovens.

When the Kiwanis of Cambrian Park heard about the fire, members jumped at the chance to help. The group rallied enough community support to rebuild the shed and replace the troop's supplies last month.

"I was upset when I heard about it," says Kiwanis member Patricia Littau. "They had lost everything--years worth of equipment gone in seconds. As a group, we decided something had to be done."

The two organizations use the Cambrian Park United Methodist Church as a meeting place, and some of the Scouts are also members of the church. Church members made individual donations and were able to rebuild the supply shed.

The club approached a new foundation called the CalNevHa Foundation, which donated $3,000. The Kiwanis clubs of Santa Clara, San Jose West Metro and Cambrian Park also contributed $1,200. Other local Boy Scout troops made donations as well. Councilwoman Judy Chirco contributed a $500 grant.

The donations totaled nearly $6,000.

The Kiwanis Club presented Stephen Thomas, committee chair for Troop 373, with a check at its weekly luncheon on Feb. 27.

"He just lit up,"Littau says. "Words can't describe the look on his face when he got the check."

"With the recent donations, we are now able to go out and purchase the missing equipment," says Thomas. "I know they want to get the equipment replaced and return to their normal activities."

Troop 373's first outing with all new equipment will be in April at Henry Coe State Park.

After putting their skills to the ultimate test, the Scouts can really live up to their motto--they're prepared for anything that comes their way, says Thomas.