Thanks to an enormous outpouring of community support and the generosity of Lake Tahoe AleWorX, the Caldor Community Festival raised an astounding $65,898 to benefit community members who were adversely impacted by the Caldor Fire and subsequent evacuation.

An estimated 2,000 people attended the single-day event, held September 17, at the AleWorX location at the Y.  One hundred percent of the proceeds from the event, which ran from noon to 9 p.m., were donated to the Barton Foundation’s Emergency Response Fund.

“The Emergency Response Fund is intended to assist with a basic need — putting food on tables — as many community members are experiencing economic hardships,” said Chris Kiser, Barton Foundation Executive Director. “In addition to being displaced from their homes, many were unable to work, resulting in wage loss and inability to fulfill basic needs. This fund is intended to address food insecurity by providing food cards to those who need it most.”

The event was made possible by the generosity of AleWorX owner Luca Genasci, who serves on the Barton
Foundation Board of Trustees. He developed the concept for the one-day fundraiser and implemented it in
less than 10 days. “I can’t say enough about the leadership and generosity that Luca demonstrated. The fact that he donated 100% of the proceeds from his restaurants, over the course of a single day to combat food insecurity in our community, is generous beyond measure,” Kiser said. “His commitment to helping our
community heal during this difficult time is most certainly appreciated by all.”