Local SERVPRO Team Provides Meaningful Wildfire Relief to First Responders

More than $160,000 in total grants donated to area first responders

/EIN News/ -- Los Angeles, California, March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When Gennady Grinblat, vice president of SERVPRO Global West Coast DRT, heard about Los Angeles County Fire Captain Alek Edwards braving the wildfires in the midst of his family losing their home, he did not hesitate to pledge $10,000 on behalf of his company to help provide emergency relief assistance.

“Whatever would be meaningful, sign us up,” Grinblat said. “We want to do our part to help those who put their lives on the line for our community.”

As the franchise helped coordinate relief efforts with the First Responders Children’s Foundation, an owner of the same SERVPRO franchise group, Manny Corral, amazed the team with more generosity. “My wife and I would also like to donate $10,000 for these first responder families,” he shared with a smile on his face, eager to make a real difference.

Corral and Grinblat brought their friend, actor Morris Chestnut, to surprise Captain Edwards when the First Responders Children’s Foundation and SERVPRO awarded the grant to his family. Learn more about Edwards's bravery and the day here.

This SERVPRO team’s outreach did not end with contributing to the SERVPRO Disaster Relief Fund. They played a critical role in hosting the First Responder Family Appreciation Day at Dodger Stadium on February 25. The team provided dozens of volunteers who stored, transported, unloaded, and distributed thousands of essential items and toys for the event, as well as set up and cleaned up the site.

SERVPRO Global West Coast DRT worked alongside six other franchise groups to make the First Responder Family Appreciation Day a special event—Team Jeffries Global, Team Lingurar, Team Sussman/Katz, Team Brogdon, Team Barlow/Bridges, and Team Ramos.

“SERVPRO can do special things when we come together as one brand, one organization, all working together for the common good of these communities,” said Brett Ponton, CEO of SERVPRO Headquarters, at the event. “It’s honestly very humbling, and I have a tremendous sense of gratitude to each and every one of them for the contributions they made.”

With the help of donors like SERVPRO, FRCF has given out more than $160,000 in grants to L.A.-area first responders who were impacted by the fires, in addition to the thousands of toys, shoes, and other necessities provided during the First Responder Family Appreciation Day event.

Since 2023, SERVPRO has donated more than $360,000 for grants for hundreds of first responder families, in addition to supporting many other programs of the First Responders Children’s Foundation. To partner with SERVPRO in giving back to the first responder community, make a donation to the SERVPRO Disaster Relief Fund today. 

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About SERVPRO^®

For more than 55 years, SERVPRO has been a trusted leader in fire and water cleanup and restoration services, construction, mold mitigation, biohazard and pathogen remediation. SERVPRO’s professional services network of more than 2,300 individually owned and operated franchises spans the United States and Canada, responding to property damage emergencies large and small – from million-square-foot commercial facilities to individual homes. When disaster strikes, homeowners, business owners and major insurance companies alike rely on SERVPRO to make it “Like it never even happened.”

About First Responders Children’s Foundation

First Responders Children’s Foundation is a national foundation that provides programs and resources that address the specific needs of first responders and their families. The Foundation focuses on four key areas: Scholarships, Financial Assistance Grants, a Mental Health Resilience Program, and Community Engagement. The Foundation was founded 23 years ago in response to 9/11 when 800 children lost a first responder parent. More information about FRCF and how to support their mission can be found at www.1stRCF.org and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @1strcf.

Attachments

• SERVPRO donates to LA firefighter
• LA First Responder Appreciation Event

Zack Owensby
                    Servpro Industries, LLC
                    615-451-0200
                    zowensby@servpro.com