Lions Members Feed San Bruno Fire Victims

For two days after the Sept. 9 San Bruno fire, Millbrae Lions Club members fed afflicted residents camped at the temporary shelter in the Veterans Memorial Recreation Center.

When Lions Club members Anthony and Geno Caccia heard about the blaze, they quickly rallied with other members and began grocery shopping around midnight to feed displaced neighbors by morning.

"I went to pick up the trailer at 5 a.m.," said Anthony Caccia referring to the Lions Club trailer purchased six months ago for events and emergency situations. "There were enough people here at 6 a.m. to get motivated."

By lunchtime, evacuees, EMT's, volunteers and Red Cross personnel lined up outside the temporary shelter at 251 City Park Way to pile burgers and salads on their plates.

"This is the first time we've used the trailer for a disaster," Vice Mayor and Lions Member Dan Quigg said. Usually, it's reserved for club pancake breakfasts. Club members served the community from the morning of Friday Sept. 10 until 7 p.m. the following day when emergency response team food vendors took over.

"The Lions are so proud to do this," council member Marge Colapietro said. "Without leadership and coordination, we wouldn't have been able to do all this," she said referring to donations and volunteers pouring in from surrounding communities.

The Lions plan to enroll in classes to receive Community Emergency Response Team certification.

For updates on the aftermath of the fire, check out San Bruno Patch.