An open message to all families in the Verdugo Hills Council, Boy Scouts of America.

The response to my e-mail of Sunday, August 30th requesting contributions of cases of Gatorade & water for the firefighters has been overwhelming!  The Scout families & friends of the Verdugo Hills Council came through in true Scout fashion, totaling over 900 cases of donated cases of drinks.  Our firefighters, of whom we are so proud & grateful, have responded in kind, doing their best to protect our homes & communities.  Thankfully, the fire is now relatively contained in our area.

I just took a load of 15 cases to the command center at the Santa Fe Dam area near Irwindale.  It was graciously accepted by the crews on duty, and they have let us know that they now have all that they need, in terms of drinks, energy bars and fresh fruit.  They send their heartfelt thanks & appreciation to all who have supported their efforts. We can now end our efforts, content in the knowledge that we, as Scout families, "did our best".  Thank you to all who made contributions.  I was proud of the fact that our request had far reaching implications, garnering support from our neighboring San Gabriel Valley, West Los Angeles Area & Los Angeles Area Councils.  Scouting is truly a brotherhood.

Jon Maeda

Scout Executive

Verdugo Hills Council