Help Rebuild Lives of Smokey Bear Hotshots

On the morning of Monday June 17th, two separate fires started on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation. Within 24 hours it had jumped to the Lincoln National Forest. Consuming over 13,000 acres and directly hitting the town of Ruidoso, NM. As of this writing over 500 structures have burned to the ground and the entire town is on mandatory evacuation with zero containment.

One of the IHCs for Lincoln NF are the Smokey Bear Hotshots. A well known and loved crew of hard-working men and women. They were out working this fire when 4 of the crew learned their homes had been burned to the ground. Imagine that. While out on a fire that is just purely wicked, no controlling it, you learn your home and everything you own is just gone. And you're still at work...

If you're not familiar with wildland firefighters, especially hotshots... they work incredibly hard and selflessly all summer. In conditions that would drop most of us. They work through all the aches and pains, and life moments and poison oak, and extreme heat all to protect American citizens. They are NOT rewarded handsomely for it. They prepare for injuries on the job, but not to lose everything they own.

My hope is to give this crew a fresh start. A way to continue working without stressing about what they'll eventually come home to... The government certainly isn't going to help their employees so let's all please do it.

My name is Michelle Levy, I got to know the Smokey Bear Hotshots when they were dispatched to a fire a mile behind my cabin. I became good friends with Robert Layman specifically. I am raising this money for him and his crew, he is a lead hotshot on Smokey Bear. He will handle the dispersement of funds raised for fellow crew members with the blessing of all crew members. All funds raised will be used towards replacing their possessions and getting new accommodations. Absolutely no one but Robert has access to the funds, including me. He is the only official beneficiary.