One805 Overview

One805, the Santa Barbara charity founded after the Thomas Fire and devastating mudslides four years ago, hosted a boffo bash at the Montecito Club to update its many supporters on its activities. More than 70 guests listened as Richard Weston-Smith, president and co-founder, and John Thyne, a founder and chief financial officer, outlined the popular nonprofit’s activities, including a $50,000 grant to help fund a firefighting Firehawk helicopter which is being retrofitted, a $20,000 grant to the Sheriff’s Department – $10,000 for special dive mask operations and $10,000 for defibrillators.

Other grants enable the Santa Barbara Police Department to train in nonlethal force with Jiu-Jitsu classes, which originated in Japan, fire struts for building collapse, and trench rescue for another local department, and $14,000 for drones for police departments in Santa Maria and Lompoc.

The first responders organization also started the 777 program, now renamed the Family Time Campaign, allowing firefighters’ families and others to use two beach homes on ritzy Padaro Lane, just a tiara’s toss from Oscar winner Kevin Costner and mega director George Lucas, to relax, recover, and recuperate after major disasters.

Among the tony torrent of supporters turning out were Sheriff Bill Brown, Montecito Fire Chief Mark Hartwig, Eric and Nina Phillips, Alan and Lisa Parsons, Martin Gore, Ginni Dreier, Alixe Mattingly, Kirsten Cavendish Weston-Smith, Connie Pearcy, Diana Starr Langley, Alastair and Ann Winn, Amanda Twining, and Michael and Tracy Bollag. Putting the fun into fundraising…