UAW-Dodge truck drivers help Calif. wildfire victims

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Truck drivers Gary Alred and Howard Austin are accustomed to being on the road, traveling as members of the UAW-Dodge NASCAR Motorsports Exhibit, but a different opportunity presented itself a few weeks ago -- one that the UAW-Dodge members felt honored to accomplish.

Alred and Austin, with a dozen others from Chrysler LLC and Chrysler Financial, took part in the California relief mission for residents who were victimized by the devastating wild fires.

"It was gratifying to help people who really needed the help after the terrible fires. Many of them had no place to go because their homes were destroyed. What I saw really touched me -- I had tears in my eyes when I saw how much they appreciated our help," Austin said.

Alred and Austin were en route to Detroit from a Dodge NASCAR Motorsports dealership event in Atlanta, when Alred received a call asking if they would like to join in with the effort.

"One thing led to another, and Howard and I volunteered to make the run to southern California. Once we got back home from Atlanta, we slept a few hours, changed clothes and we were on the road again," Alred said.

They arrived in the San Diego area on October 29 -- meeting up with other volunteers from Chrysler and Chrysler Financial. They immediately put their truck to good use, hauling two loads of food and water to a restaurant near Barrett Lake that had been converted to a temporary Red Cross Shelter.

Besides providing their rig, Alred and Austin pitched in with other Chrysler volunteers to unload each trailer, while also helping distribute relief supplies delivered in Dodge vans to local neighborhoods and fire departments affected by the fires.

The donation included food, water, juice, toiletries and cleaning supplies to tents, sleeping bags, flashlights and dog food. They even loaded hay for horses and other livestock displaced by the blazes.

"We were able to accomplish something important on short notice," Alred said. "Howard and I were proud to represent Chrysler Transport, Local 212 and the National Training Center. An experience like this reminds you how blessed the rest of us are -- you count your blessings that you haven't gone through a similar tragedy in your life."

The Chrysler Foundation and Chrysler Financial joined forces with the California-based Rescue Task Force to donate $200,000 to aid fire victims, affected communities and rural fire departments that have been affected by the recent blazes. Among the beneficiaries was an elementary school that had burned during the fires -- a $25,000 check was presented to help with the rebuilding effort.

The UAW-Dodge traveling NASCAR Motorsports Exhibit has been a fun destination for fans on the NASCAR circuit for the past four years, which included 12 NASCAR race weekends in 2007 -- one being the UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.