Random Acts Blog

Jonathan’s Day at OFD Station 20

Jonathan is a 20 year-old young adult male who is battling cancer and has maintained a positive attitude during his fight. What seems to be driving him throughout this tumultuous process is his passion for music. Jonathan, loves to make and produce music, however he didn’t possess all the necessary tools to fully explore his passion. He’s talked about how he could create good sounds if he had a computer and the music production software to make the music he loves and enjoys. Jonathan also had a long standing childhood dream to ride on a fire truck. Jonathan’s social worker at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland contacted Oakland Firefighters Random Acts for help. We partnered together with IAFF Local 55 and Oakland Black Firefighters Association to purchase a laptop computer with music production software. Jonathan and his social worker had lunch at Station 20 and went for a ride on the fire truck. Then, Jonathan extinguished the candles on his birthday cake with a CO-2 canister. Thank you to Local 55 and OBFFA for your contribution and to OFD Fire Station 20 for your gracious hospitality!

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Calvin Goes To The Prom – In Style

17 year-old Calvin has cancer and missed his school prom at McClymonds High School because of his diagnosis. His social worker at Oakland Children’s Hospital contacted Random Acts after she did some research and found a non-profit organization called Shiri Foundation that puts on proms for kids with cancer. Random Acts got Calvin the tuxedo, the corsage for his date, and a boutonniere for his lapel. The fire crew from Station 5 delivered the tuxedo to Calvin which he had picked out, and they threw in some spending money for him out of their pockets. Black Tie Transportation donated the limousine ride to San Francisco. (Thank You Black Tie!!) This was kept a secret from Calvin because his mom wanted it to be a surprise. So, on the evening of the prom when he asked his mom how he was going to get there, she pointed to an old dilapidated pick-up truck that was parked out in front of their apartment and told him he was going in that. So, you can imagine his amazement when the shiny black stretch limousine pulled up. And, he wasn’t the only one in shock. All his neighbors we’re going crazy with excitement too because this was the first time they had ever seen a limousine in their neighborhood. Total strangers were taking pictures of Calvin and the limo. He was definitely the man of the hour, and his chauffeur drove him off in style to the prom. ABC-TV News did a story that evening about the Shiri Foundation Prom, and there was Calvin on TV dancing the night away.

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Healing After the Fire

Last Sunday, Capt. Bob Nylander and Station 20 responded to a classroom fire at Sobrante Park Elementary School. Today, Station 20 returned to the school to bring some gifts and some healing to the students and their teacher, Ms. Becerra, who were using a temporary classroom on their last day of school. The stuffed animals were especially healing for the children. When one of the students noticed that a teacher looked close to tears, he went up to her and said, “You look sad. I think you need a stuffed animal”. And, he gave the teacher his stuffed animal. That really brought her to tears.  Random Acts fulfilled most of the items on the teacher’s Wish List for the class with things that we already had in stock – books, office supplies, canvas school bags filled with school supplies for each child, crayons, coloring books, pencils, a new office chair, a CD player, and stuffed animals. In the Fall when school opened, Random Acts took Ms. Becerra on a shopping spree to purchase the rest of the items on her Wish List.

 

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