Wallow Wildfire Donations | Alpine, Arizona

All,

We are pleased to announce a raffle and silent auction to benefit the victims of the Wallow Wildfire on July 15, 2011 from 5 pm- close at El Hefe Bar and Grill in Scottsdale. In addition to food, beverages, and a great atmosphere, below is a list of some of the prizes that will be available:

1. Free hotel room and breakfast for 2 at the Valley Ho
2. Duke Schneider autographed baseball bat with certificate of authenticity
3. 2 $50 gift cards to Pearl Sushi
4. 4 Arizona Diamondbacks tickets
5. Autographed Luis Gonzalez bobblehead
6. Autographed picture of Justin Upton of the Diamondbacks
7. 3 massages courtesy of Grant Chiropractic
8. 2 $25 gift cards to 5th and Wine
9. Free workout sessions to specialty classes like Abs and Bootcamp at
Jacked! gym in Scottsdale
10. Free microderm abrasion peels, valued at $300.

There are other prizes as well, but this is a quick synopsis of some of the items that will be available. We hope to see you there: buy a tree, build a forest!

I wanted to share some updated pictures of the fire in Alpine, Arizona. These pictures are particularly difficult to look at for Alpine residents in that we can pinpoint where these were taken, which is not far from where we call home.
These pictures also signify our goal for this website, and for the Non-Profit that is being set up currently here in Arizona for our cause: rebuild Alpine, Arizona and the forest around it!

The environment has been impacted for decades, if not centuries at this point, but we can begin to rebuild this prized land now. Ponderosa pine trees, a big part of what is sadly burning to the ground, are decades old, many over 50 years of age. Aspen trees can also take quite a long time to reach full size. Unfortunately, the land will never look the same in my lifetime, but we can greatly improve the way it looks by acting now, rather than waiting for mother nature to take its course. Buy a tree, build a forest!

All,

I wanted to let everyone know that the entity, Wallow Wildfire Donations, is in the process of being created. Through my own law firm, I am filing the paperwork to create the non-profit, though the Arizona Corporation Commission does not respond overnight, so it will take some time.

In the meantime, there are several ways right now to help the cause:

1. Donate using Paypal on the website,
2. Write a check, either to myself, or if you’re not comfortable with that, to Wallow Wildfire Donations. Please understand that if you make the check out to Wallow Wildfire Donations, it will not be deposited until I have the entity up and running, so it could be a week or two before it hits your account. Checks can be mailed to my law firm at: Attention: Andrew Kramer 4835 E. Cactus Road, Suite 310 Scottsdale, AZ 85254.
3. If it is easier, you’re welcome to come in and donate cash and we can go to the bank and deposit it together.

I may at some point put a standard credit card processor up on the website, but as you know, this costs money, which defeats the purpose when the donation is going to the processor instead of our great environment.

Anyone with questions can contact me on my mobile phone at 480.570.5303, or email me at Andrew@TheKramerFirm.com. Thanks again for all of your support! BUY A TREE, BUILD A FOREST!

The Wallow Wildfire that has destroyed so much of the Apache National Forest is weakening in decreasing winds, if only for a minute. Thankfully, this small range of time before the winds pick back up may allow the firefighters, who have to be exhausted from risking their lives and working 16 hour days, to contain the blaze in certain areas. While Alpine remains in grave danger, all we can do is pray that the limited information we will receive in the near future will be positive.

http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2262/

The above-referenced link is the Inciweb link that is keeping us all up to date on the fire’s activity.

Even as I write this, the full ramifications of the ongoing Wallow Wildfire have not set in.

My name is Andrew Kramer-Arizona resident, attorney by trade, and avid outdoor enthusiast in my spare time. Like many Arizonans, I like to get out of the heat during the brutal summers, and for years, I have been joining my family to retreat at our cabin in Alpine, AZ. My parents, Dan and Shelley, and my sister and brother-in-law, Kristina and Stephen, enjoy this land as much if not more than I do. This picture is our actual cabin, and although it isn’t the biggest, it is very rustic, natural, and cozy-in short, it is home.

When my family and our Alpine neighbors first learned of the 0% containment, we were all shocked, frightened, and upset. To our dismay, our prayers to protect our future went unanswered, and a fire has erupted in the surrounding area, burning buildings, trailers, and perhaps more importantly, the surrounding natural beauty that we have all come to know and love.

The fire, already the second largest in Arizona history and still 0% contained, has decimated over 600 square miles of the Apache National Forest, and continues at a blistering pace towards Eagar and Springerville. While information is scarce, we are receiving emails daily that the fire is in Alpine, and is causing irreversible damage. We all know that the firefighters and hotshot crews are doing an incredible and courageous job, but there is no denying that many families will lose what can never be replaced.

I am fortunate enough to say that Alpine is not my permanent home, and that I do not rely on Alpine to make a living, however, many are not as lucky. I have created this website and donation page as a seed to the Alpine community- a seed that will hopefully regrow lives, rebuild the forest, and reestablish the community that is Alpine, Arizona. For those who would like to help but do not have a Paypal account- you are welcome to mail donations to: Wallow Wildfire Donations, 2134 E. Broadway Road, Unit 1023 Tempe, AZ 85282. This is our mail address in Alpine. We will also have a separate Bank of America donation account open first thing Thursday morning, which I will post as soon as I have the account number. Thank you for your support, and remember: this is Arizona’s earthquake, hurricane, and tsunami- BUY A TREE, BUILD A FOREST!!!

If you would like so speak with me, my personal mobile phone number is 480.570.5303, and my email is andrew@thekramerfirm.com. My parents, Daniel and Shelley Kramer, can be reached at 480.694.7747, and 480.694.7717. Lastly, my sister Kristina Kramer-Johnston can be reached at 480.694.0707. I will be posting pictures of my family, as well as pictures of some of the other members of the Alpine community later this week.