Support Tohru Ohnuki After the Eaton Fire

Team fundraiser

Ileana de Cardenas and 4 others are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Tohru Ohnuki.

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Tohru Ohnuki, a beloved mentor, outdoor educator, and pillar of the Los Angeles Sierra Club community, recently lost everything in the devastating Eaton Fire.

If you know Tohru, then you know how deeply dedicated he is to helping others explore the outdoors. He serves as an Assistant Group Leader for Sierra Club's Wilderness Travel Course in West LA, and as Assistant Director of Sierra Club's Advanced Mountaineering Program. For over a decade, Tohru has devoted countless hours volunteering with these courses to ensure low-cost outdoor education is available to the LA community.

The Eaton Fire destroyed his entire neighborhood and everything he owned. Among those things were irreplaceable family archives, the gear he has collected for his many hobbies and outdoor pursuits, and all of the equipment he uses for the volunteer courses he is central to running. His library of books, which he loved to gift and share with others, was also lost.

Despite the challenging circumstances he is facing, Tohru remains committed to his volunteer work. The goal of this fundraiser is to provide Tohru with the personal equipment he needs in order to continue serving as a leader for the Wilderness Travel Course which starts January 22nd, followed by the Advanced Mountaineering Program in April. The resources raised will be used to purchase basic climbing and hiking gear, such as 10 essentials, helmet, harness, belay device, a climbing rope, and carabiners. However, we would love to see him not only replace his essential lost gear, but get support for additional technical gear and personal needs not covered by other sources of aid.

As Tohru's mentees and the organizers of this fundraiser, we have gained invaluable knowledge and made life-changing memories in the outdoors thanks to his leadership. He has given so much to us, and now we want to show our appreciation by giving back and demonstrating how much he means to our community.

Every donation, big or small, will make a huge difference to Tohru and our community. Thank you so much for your support!

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS: Ileana de Cardenas, Deena Rice, Uriah Ador Dionisio, Andrew Pandes, and Alfonso Wongvalle are volunteer outdoor educators alongside Tohru Ohnuki. We are from all over the greater Los Angeles area, and have each been profoundly impacted by his mentorship.