Latest news with #CaliforniaFireFoundation
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
PG&E and California Fire Foundation Open Applications for Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Grants
More than $1 million in grants, public education, and outreach funded in 2025; Applications Accepted May 30 through June 30 OAKLAND, Calif., June 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ahead of California's peak fire season, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the California Fire Foundation (CFF) are encouraging California-based fire departments and community-based organizations to apply for grants for wildfire safety and preparedness programs and projects. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2025, through the CFF website. Award notification will begin July 31, 2025. The grant program continues an eight-year partnership between PG&E and CFF. PG&E and The PG&E Corporation Foundation (PG&E Foundation) are providing a total of $1.65 million to CFF's Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program (WSPP). The program continues to raise public awareness about wildfire safety and deliver resources to underserved communities in high fire-risk areas. The program includes a competitive grant program that last year awarded 55 local fire departments and community groups $750,000 in funding. This year's program includes increased funding for $950,000 in grant awards. Funding for these charitable donations comes from PG&E shareholders, not customers. In 2024, funding supported: Purchasing approximately 7,560 pieces of personal protection equipment including helmets, boots, gloves, goggles and fire shelters Removing over 21 acres of hazardous tree and brush Chipping and hauling of 1.5 million pounds of tree limbs, branches and other combustibles Conducting 22 prescribed fires or pile burns for forest management "Now in its eighth year, the Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program serves as a constant reminder to Californians of the recurring and deadly nature of wildfires," said Angie Carmignani, Executive Director of the California Fire Foundation. "Whether during historic wildfire seasons or quieter periods, the program has remains steadfast – reaching communities year after year to ensure they're prepared for wildfire. Our partnership with PG&E has been instrumental in making this life-saving work possible and directly supports CFF's mission to strengthen disaster preparedness across our state." Since 2018, CFF, which administers and manages the program, has awarded 368 grants to fire departments and community organizations statewide, focusing its efforts in Northern and Central California. Funding targets communities identified as having extreme or elevated fire risk as identified by the California Public Utilities Commission. "PG&E is grateful for our ongoing partnership with the California Fire Foundation as we share the goal of helping our hometowns do everything possible to prevent wildfires. The projects that these grants fund, such as creating defensible space, enabling fuel-reduction programs and conducting fire-safety outreach campaigns, are essential across our service area and especially within underserved communities," said Mark Quinlan, PG&E's Senior Vice President, Wildfire, Emergency & Operations. How the Grants Help Communities From 2018 to the present, PG&E and the PG&E Foundation have provided $10.45 million in total support for fire safety awareness through the program. The charitable contributions are shareholder-funded, not paid for by PG&E customers. Since 2018, WSPP has funded: Specialized fire equipment and personal protective equipment Defensible space and vegetation management efforts Fuel/hazard reduction programs Fire prevention and emergency preparedness education, including senior citizen wildfire preparedness programs Partnerships with community groups in high fire-risk areas to distribute fire-safety information Fire safety outreach campaigns, including 12,000 multi-lingual brochures targeting under-resourced communities in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hmong, and Vietnamese The program develops and distributes in-language fire-safety messaging targeting Spanish, Chinese, Hmong, and Vietnamese communities. These efforts include a comprehensive media campaign consisting of outdoor billboards and in-language television, radio, and digital ads. The California Fire Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, aids firefighters, their families, and the communities they protect. CFF's Firefighters on Your Side program, also supported by PG&E, provides multi-lingual, culturally relevant fire safety messaging in both digital and print forms to assist the public in staying safe. About PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit and About The PG&E Corporation Foundation The PG&E Corporation Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, separate from PG&E and sponsored by PG&E Corporation. About California Fire FoundationThe California Fire Foundation, a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization, provides emotional and financial assistance to families of fallen firefighters, firefighters, and the communities they protect. Formed in 1987 by California Professional Firefighters, the California Fire Foundation's mandate includes an array of survivor and victim assistance projects and community initiatives. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Euronews
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
A treasured Banksy owned by a member of Blink-182 is up for auction at Sotheby's
A rare, hand-painted Banksy work is set to be sold at auction by Sotheby's in London, carrying an estimated value of up to £5 million (€6 million). A portion of the proceeds will go toward supporting victims of the Los Angeles wildfires. The painting comes from the collection of Mark Hoppus, bassist of the California skate-punk band Blink-182, who has long admired Banksy's work. 'I feel like street art and punk rock have the same core,' Hoppus said. 'The left-out and overlooked making their own reality. Just go make art. It's the same spirit. And I've loved art and especially street art ever since realising that.' 'Crude Oil (Vettriano)' is part of Banksy's 2005 'Crude Oil' series, in which the elusive, Bristol-born artist reimagined famous paintings with a satirical twist. This particular piece is based on Scottish artist Jack Vettriano's 'The Singing Butler', which originally depicts an elegantly dressed couple dancing on a beach while servants hold umbrellas over them. In Banksy's version, the scene takes a darker turn – an oil tanker sinks in the background, and two figures in hazmat suits wheel a barrel of toxic waste. 'We loved this painting since the moment we saw it,' said Hoppus, who bought the artwork with his wife, Skye Everly, in 2011. He said the painting – 'unmistakably Banksy, but different' – has hung in the family's homes in London and Los Angeles. Hoppus said he would use the proceeds of the sale to buy work by upcoming artists. Some will go to the California Fire Foundation, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Cedars Sinai Hematology Oncology Research. 'Crude Oil (Vettriano)' is currently on display at Sotheby's in New York until Thursday (20 February) and in London from 26 February to 4 March.
See - Sada Elbalad
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Banksy's Artwork Set for Auction on March 4
A painting by the renowned artist Banksy is set to be auctioned in London on March 4, with an estimated price of around $6 million. Sotheby's auction house announced that the artwork, titled Crude Oil (Vettriano) is part of the collection of Mark Hoppus, co-founder of the band Blink-182, and his wife, who purchased it in 2011. The painting will first be displayed at Sotheby's New York headquarters from February 18 to 20 before being moved to London, where it will be exhibited from February 26 to March 4. The artwork is a reimagined version of The Singing Butler (1992) by Scottish artist Jack Vettriano, which originally depicts a couple dancing on a windswept beach, accompanied by a maid and a butler holding umbrellas. In Banksy's version, however, the maid is replaced by two men in hazmat suits carrying containers of toxic waste, reinforcing his signature social critique. The proceeds from the auction will be donated to two medical charities in Los Angeles and the California Fire Foundation, in response to the recent wildfires that have devastated the region.
CBS News
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Banksy "Crude Oil (Vettriano)" art for sale by Blink-182 bassist could fetch millions
A painting by street artist Banksy with an environmental message and an estimate of up to 5 million pounds ($6.3 million) is going up for auction, with some of the proceeds helping victims of the Los Angeles wildfires. Sotheby's auction house said Tuesday that "Crude Oil (Vettriano)" is being sold by Sotheby's in London on March 4 from the collection of Mark Hoppus, bassist with California skate-punk band Blink-182, who sees Banksy as a kindred spirit. Hoppus said he was drawn to the subversion, humor and intelligence of Banksy's work and the similarities between "skateboarding, punk rock and art." "I feel like street art and punk rock have the same core," Hoppus said. "The left-out and overlooked making their own reality. … Just go make art. It's the same spirit. And I've loved art and especially street art ever since realizing that." "Crude Oil (Vettriano)" is part of a 2005 series of works in which Banksy put a satirical spin on famous paintings — withering Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers" and smashing the diner window in Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks." The artist said his aim was to show that "the real damage done to our environment is not done by graffiti writers and drunken teenagers, but by big business." The work going under the hammer is based on "The Singing Butler," a painting by Scottish artist Jack Vettriano showing a couple in evening dress dancing on a beach as servants proffer sheltering umbrellas. Banksy has added a sinking oil liner and two figures lugging a barrel of toxic waste. "We loved this painting since the moment we saw it," said Hoppus, who bought the artwork with his wife Skye in 2011. He said the painting – "unmistakably Banksy, but different" – has hung in the family's homes in London and LA ever since. Hoppus said he would use the proceeds of the sale to buy work by upcoming artists. Some will go to the California Fire Foundation, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Cedars Sinai Hematology Oncology Research, Banksy, who has never confirmed his full identity, began his career spray-painting buildings in Bristol, England, and has become one of the world's best-known artists. His mischievous and often satirical images include two male police officers kissing, armed riot police with yellow smiley faces and a chimpanzee with a sign bearing the words, "Laugh now, but one day I'll be in charge." Several of his works have sold for multiple millions at auction. The record is almost 18.6 million pounds ($25.4 million at the time) paid at Sotheby's in October 2021 for "Love is in the Bin" – an image of a girl with a balloon that partially self-destructed during an auction three years earlier thanks to a shredder hidden in the frame. The painting is on display at Sotheby's in New York until Thursday and in London Feb. 26-March 4.
Sky News
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Blink-182's Mark Hoppus to auction rare Banksy estimated at up to £5m
Blink-182 star Mark Hoppus is set to auction a rare Banksy painting which is estimated to be worth up to £5m. The 52-year-old musician, singer and bassist in the punk-rock trio, acquired the work with his wife Skye Everly in 2011. Crude Oil (Vettriano) was first exhibited by Banksy in 2005 and is the anonymous artist's re-imagining of Jack Vettriano's career-defining The Singing Butler, from 1992, which itself was auctioned by Sotheby's for £744,800 in 2004. Now, the hand-painted Banksy will be auctioned by Sotheby's in London, with some of the proceeds to be donated to good causes including the California Fire Foundation, which helps people impacted by wildfires around LA, a children's hospital, and a cancer research centre. "We loved this painting since the moment we saw it," Hoppus said. "It's borne witness to our family over these past dozen years. It hung over the table in London where we ate breakfast and our son did his homework. It hung in our living room in Los Angeles... "This painting has meant so much to us and been such an amazing part of our lives, and now I'm excited for it to be out there in the world, seen by as many as possible." The Blink-182 star said he would also use the proceeds to buy works by up-and-coming artists. The singer added: "Coming back to punk rock, one aspect of the community I always hold dear is, if you get lucky enough to gain success, you bring your friends with you. "Larger bands bring smaller bands on tour. We support one another from within. I want to take some of the money from the sale of this painting and use it to buy works from younger, upcoming artists." Hoppus revealed he had been diagnosed with stage four diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in June 2021, but after chemotherapy treatment he announced he was free from cancer just a few months later. He rose to fame after forming Blink-182 alongside guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker in 1992, and the trio went on to define the pop-punk genre with hits such as The Rock Show, All The Small Things, What's My Age Again?, and I Miss You. DeLonge left the group at the beginning of 2015, but returned in 2022 following his bandmate's diagnosis. Hoppus's memoir, Fahrenheit-182, is due to be released in April. Crude Oil (Vettriano) will be on display at Sotheby's in New York this week before being brought to the UK for a preview exhibition starting on 26 February. It will then headline Sotheby's Modern And Contemporary Evening Auction in London on 4 March. "Street art and punk rock share the same vocabulary - they speak to the outsider, the rebel and the overlooked," said Oliver Barker, Sotheby's Europe chairman. "Both movements were born from the margins. They challenge authority and re-write the rules, a fundamental trait shared by Mark and Banksy." Last year, Banksy made headlines by painting a series of animal works across London, one a day for nine days, including a rhino which appeared to be mounting a parked car, and a gorilla lifting a shutter at London Zoo. piranhas painted on a police sentry box, resembling a fish tank.
