Small Heroes
'Small' heroes make big differences
After watching fire destruction on television, Tustin Ranch Elementary second-grader does her part to help.
BY ERIKA M. TORRESSTAFF WRITERMadison Hanson, a second-grader at Tustin Ranch Elementary School, took seriously her school's contest "I can make a difference by …."The contest, hosted locally by each school's Parent Teacher Association, is sponsored by the nation's PTA Reflections program.After watching the fire coverage Monday afternoon, Hanson, 7, decided she wanted to bring dinner to the firefighters at Station 21. With the help of her mom Rena, Hanson called their local pizzeria "First Class Pizza" and asked if they could get a discount for purchasing a certain number of pizzas. Instead, the store's owner, Sean Murphy, donated five extra-large pizzas."Anything to help out," Murphy said. "After what (the firefighters) have gone through the past couple of days, it was the least we could do."Hanson and her mother also purchased water and oatmeal raisin cookies after contacting the station. Six firefighters are assigned to Station 21, near the intersection of Irvine Boulevard and Red Hill Avenue, but all nearby firefighters stopped by the fire station to pick up some dinner."It's a really nice gesture for them to come and do that," said firefighter Tom Vasquez. "It was overwhelmingly nice."Firefighters from all over Orange County have been working on the fire since Sunday evening, even if they aren't scheduled to work, he said.Vasquez said "it was a big load off our shoulders" not to have to prepare dinner Monday evening, adding they probably wouldn't have been able to eat until 9 or 10 in the evening if a meal hadn't been prepared for them."It made me feel good, like I could make a difference," Hanson said.Hanson might just be in the running to win her school's contest today when she submits her photo collage of herself with the firefighters.
