The Downtown Center Business Improvement District (DCBID) is a coalition of property owners, committed to enhancing the quality of life in Downtown Los Angeles. One of the many ways they do this is by supporting the annual Hope for Firefighters event, an exciting annual fundraiser for the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemen’s Fund.
President and CEO Carol E. Schatz strongly believes in supporting the charity and its work. Lauren Reilly Mitchell, the organization’s Director of Marketing and Communications, added, “We choose the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemen’s Fund as a beneficiary to honor the men and women of the LAFD and their families for their service in keeping downtown Los Angeles safe.”
For the Hope event, a lunch-time street festival held the first Thursday each June, “The BID,” as many call it, provides its Purple Patrol. This highly visible team of purple-shirted safety officers and maintenance staff offer daily, 24-hour supplemental services to maintain safety and cleanliness within the district. Their service helps Hope attendees relax and enjoy the competitions, music, food cooked by firefighters and family fun — all of which make the festival one of the charity’s most popular fundraising events.
For the last 13 years, the DCBID also has hosted an annual Public Safety Appreciation Barbeque, held at FIGat7th in downtown Los Angeles in early fall. Each year, proceeds go to one of the charities serving L.A.’s men and women in uniform, including police, sheriff’s deputies and L.A. City firefighters.
Carol and the rest of the staff understand the importance of taking care of our heroes. And thanks to their ongoing support of the Widows & Orphans and its efforts, they’ve come to appreciate these brave men and women on a deeper level, even forging solid relationships within the department. Lauren said, “We work closely with Los Angeles Fire Chief Brian Cummings and have the utmost respect for his work and his staff.”
DCBID leaders believe Downtown L.A. is a wholly unique place — one with an exciting and prosperous future. The organization is helping the 65-block central business district achieve its full potential as a great place to live, work, play and connect. And the coalition understands one key part of that means making sure our heroes are taken care of.
Learn more at about DCBID at DowntownLA.com.
By David Vienna