From the Ashes: Last Chance Strong

By Asia Carpenter

My parents along with their entire community of Last Chance recently lost their home and nearly everything they owned to the CZU Lightning Complex Fires. My parents built this home by hand over 30 years ago. It was the only family home that my brothers and I knew. My brothers, both firefighters, continued for days to fight the fires even after their parents had lost their home. The magnitude of this loss is colossal, as over 100 homes burned here and over 100 families were displaced.

In addition to the loss of homes and belongings, the dirt roads that snake through the Last Chance community have been devastated by fallen trees, erosion, and going into winter, the potential for dangerous landslides.

With this in mind, one of our first issues is making the roads safe again, so that families can access their properties. This was the intention behind our “From the Ashes” and “Last Chance Strong” T-shirt fundraising campaigns, of which 100% of proceeds benefit the Last Chance Road Association. The Last Chance Community is incredibly strong and determined, but they could use your help.

The t-shirts feature a phoenix/hawk rising from the ashes, carrying the crest of our community barn which was lost in the fire. This design was dreamed up by my younger brother Carlos Carpenter and brought to life by local artist Kevin Walsh, who generously dedicated his time and talent. The design is beautiful and surpassed our expectations. We are so grateful for his generosity.

The second graphic design is a rendering of our community barn’s crest—a reminder that the Last Chance Community will stay strong through this devastating loss and band together through the aftermath. The graphic design rendering was generously donated by graphic designer Cedar Lay. Once again, we are so grateful for the support and generosity that these individuals have offered.

To date, we have raised almost $5,000 of our $10,000 goal. If you are interested in supporting our cause, please click the link below to shop, and know that your kindness and support is hugely appreciated by my family and the Last Chance community.

bonfire.com/store/last-chance-community—czu-fire-relief

More about the artists: 

Kevin Walsh on Instagram: @kevinwalshy

Cedar Lay: cedarlay.com