BOUNTIFUL, Utah — It started with a phone call for help and snowballed into a community- and industrywide philanthropy effort to help the thousands of people who have lost their homes and have been displaced by the wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles recently.
Two states over, Jay Jenkins, owner of Jay's Tire Pros in Bountiful, Utah, has been collecting donations of toiletries and other necessities, hoping to fill a semi-tractor trailer that will eventually be sent to victims in California.
He has collected more than $20,000, and he is asking for anyone around the country to donate to the cause by contacting his dealership, where employees are prepared to process donations by credit card.
So far, he has raised money and collected goods from friends, family, business partners and other Tire Pros dealers.
"They jumped on board right away," Jenkins told Tire Business.
The effort was sparked by a phone call Jan. 11 from a student he knows who asked him for a donation of toiletries for wildfire victims. The student attends Spectrum Academy in North Salt Lake, a charter school for students with autism and other neurodiversities.
Jenkins said he initially offered to pay for enough items to fill a pickup truck when the student and his parents went shopping Jan. 12.
The local TV station learned about the generous effort and planned to cover the shopping trip. That's when Jenkins decided to expand the project and fill a semi-tractor trailer with supplies.
He started calling accounts, contractors and business associates. And each call generated a $1,000 donation.
"In 30 minutes I had $20,000," Jenkins said. He had a business associate park an empty semi-truck in front of the local Walmart on Jan. 13.
Another business donated cases of water.