A full six months have passed since the devastating fires decimating the neighborhoods of Altadena and Pacific Palisades. In the interim, multiple incidents on the national and international news spectrum have pushed these horrendous events to the back burner. That said, the fire victims who were rendered destitute are still picking up the pieces in the aftermath.
The dawn of the new year brought with it the fury of a wildfire rolling down from the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains through the Eaton Canyon nature preserve. This tragedy was the result of drought, low humidity, and the Santa Ana winds that are a sample of coastal California. 2025 saw these conditions impact both Los Angeles and San Diego County, the two most catastrophic being the Altadena fires from the Eaton Canyon combustion and westward in the coastal community of Pacific Palisades.
Aside from the property destruction, the fire was a blow to the multi-ethnic psyche of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, as more than 800 homes were ravaged in the racially diverse enclave. Since the mid-20th century, it has been one of the few middle-class African American neighborhoods in Southern California.
In an effort to speed the healing process, a fundraiser to provide relief came from the private sector, via Clinch Entertainment and Treimage, in conjunction with the Becker Law Group and McNicholas & McNicholas LLP. More specifically, the idea was spawned from the mind of Clinch Entertainment’s founder, Michelle Stokes.
Orchestrating this event were branding, marketing, and public relations entrepreneur Charles Singleton of Long Beach’s TreImage LLC, and Todd Becker of the Pasadena law firm Becker Law Group.
In anticipation of the 2025 Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPY®) Awards held on Wednesday, July 16, Stokes initiated a “Pre-ESPY” gala on the evening of July 15 held within the confines of the Sunset Room at 1439 Ivar Ave. in the heart of Hollywood.
Among those showing up to help out was a contingent from the East Coast, including the de facto host, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver and return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud III, who is branching out into the entertainment/music genre.
This successful presentation is a testament to the talents of Michelle Stokes, who parlayed her passion for entertainment, fashion, and VIP events into the establishment of Clinch Entertainment, and currently manages Ray Ray and in essence “got the ball rolling” to produce the event.
“I wanted to bring together the celebrity aspect, everybody to come together and donate for all the victims that lost everything in the Eaton fire,” she shared with Our Weekly.
“I partnered up with two law firms that represent over 5,000 of the victims, and we put together this beautiful event together to give back.”
Key to making it a reality were branding, marketing, public relations entrepreneur Charles Singleton of Long Beach’s TreImage LLC, and Todd Becker of the Pasadena law firm Becker Law Group.
Also instrumental in putting on the fundraiser was personal injury attorney Pat McNicholas of McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, in Westwood, who unfortunately did not attend due to a prior engagement.
Stokes in turn utilized chef Nikita Leone from Italian Soul Catering to provide sustenance for the generous donors in the form of crab cakes with a roasted red pepper remoulade, teriyaki beef chicken skewers, jerk chicken burgers, and egg rolls.
Interested parties who wish to contribute to this cause may access the following sources.
The Altadena Eaton Fire Relief Fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/altadena-eaton-fire-relief-fund
The NAACP/BET Media Group Altadena Community Preservation Fund: https://naacp.org/altadena-community-preservation-fund
The Altadena Rotary Club Fire Relief Grant Program: https://jrpasadena.org/