THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, October 23, 2020 Page 9 MALDEN| FROM PAGE 1 west of the Idaho-Washington line, midway up the Idaho “panhandle,” and about 125 miles south of the U.S.-Canada border. Malden Fire Chief Bill Sullivan fi rst became aware of the fi re-stricken community, soon learning of a direct historical link between the two Maldens, which are located on two diff erent American coasts. Chief Sullivan recently appeared on a public access television show regularly hosted by Lucey on local MATV/UMA, called “02148.” He said Associate Fire Chief Leonard Dunn pointed out to him the connection with Malden, Washington. In 1909, a group of railroad workers in Washington State built a railway stop there and they decided to settle there and have their families join them. Several of the workers were natives of Malden, Mass., so when it came time to name their new community, they gave a nod to their hometown and started a town called Malden, Washington. “When we learned of the connection, and the devastation of the wildfi res there, with 80 percent of the town wiped out, Associate Chief Dunn and I agreed we had to do something to be of assistance,” Chief Sullivan related on Lucey’s “02148” show. Seeking another link as a means of getting the financial help to the people of Malden, Wash., as soon as possible, the Malden Fire Dept. offi - cers reached out to the local Lions Club and connected with its leader Linda Pritchard, of the Rosalia (Wash.) Lions. Pritchard informed the Malden FD brass that she was surprised to hear from them, not being aware of the history connecting the two communities, and wholeheartedly accepted the off ers of assistance. She also told Chief Sullivan the most pressing need for the homeless residents and business owners was not food Former Malden Mayor Ed Lucey hosts an informative show on MATV/UMA called “02148.” He was very impressed with the generosity local residents showed recently. (Steve Freker Photo) or clothes, but funds to allay transportation costs. With many of the shelters which were housing the fi re victims in the county seat at Spokane, Wash., close to 40 miles away, they were back-and-forth on nearly a daily basis, emptying their gas tanks quite quickly. “They needed gas cards fi rst and foremost and that’s what we sent them – gas cards and monetary gift cards,” Chief Sullivan said. Mayor Gary Christenson and his staff soon got involved as did the Malden Lions, led by 2020 King Lion Peter Santangelo, who was also a guest on Lucey’s “02148” show that night with the Fire Chief. Chief Sullivan said his staff and fi refi ghters also jumped right into the fundraising eff orts, including their own donations. For a few of the days, donations were accepted at the Central Fire Station. “There was a steady stream of people dropping off gift cards for a couple of days,” Chief Sullivan told Lucey. “The response was magnifi cent: over $4,000 in gift cards.” In addition to these groups, also jumping into the drive to raise funds through gift cards was MaryBeth Leon of Malden Junior Aid, who got the word out to her Malden High Class of 1977 classmates and got a decent response, according to Lucey. Chief Sullivan said there were many people and organizations to thank for participatMalden Fire Chief Bill Sullivan initiated a donation drive which raised over $4,000 for the victims who lost everything in a wildfi re that raged in Malden, Washington. (Steve Freker Photo) ing. “First and foremost the citizens of Malden were tremendous in all they gave. The Mayor’s Offi ce, First Church of Malden, Fire Commissioner Emery Haskell, several City Councillors, Cataldo Ambulance, the Malden Chamber of Commerce, WILDFIRES DESTROY TOWN: Wildfi res burned down most of the small Washington State town of Malden on September 7, 2020. (Courtesy Photo) the Malden Firefi ghters Union, the Malden Police Patrolmen’s Union and Ret. Offi cers group, the Malden Book Readers Club and of course, the Lions Club, all deserve our gratitude for all they did in this cause.” “The response by the city of Malden exceeded all expectations,” Chief Sullivan added. Former Mayor Lucey was pretty clear on how he felt. “This kind of generosity is what makes Malden what it is today,” he said. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month Portal To Hope sends special thanks to our program supporters and volunteers! For more information about Portal To Hope, or to get involved in the cause to end domestic violence, please call (781) 338-7678, or visit www.portaltohope.org Join Portal To Hope’s Domestic Violence Task Force or Youth Leadership and Safety Council Monogram D4 Double siding Cedar impression half rounds Harvey Vinyl 62 Replacement Windows Custom Aluminum Trim work Windows & Doors Top quality Vinyl Siding! •Vinyl Siding •Carpentry Work •Decks •Roofing •Free Estimates •Replacement Windows •Fully Licensed •Fully Insured
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