NorCal Fire Victims Invited To Take Free Family Portraits

NORTH BAY, CA — Jim Vetter, owner of Jim Vetter Photography in the Marin County community of Fairfax, remembers waking up the morning of Oct. 9, 2017 to the smell of smoke and knowing he had to do something. Six months later, that something has morphed into FireProofs, a free family portrait event just announced for victims of the October 2017 Northern California wildfires.

"When I realized what was happening, my heart broke," Vetter recalls. "I knew I wanted to help these families."

In collaboration with other event professionals, Vetter formulated the plan that became FireProofs.

Any family who lost their home or their photographs in the fires in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and surrounding areas is invited to register for the event, which will be held from 10 a.m until 6 p.m on Sunday, May 6 at Solage Resort, 755 Silverado Trail N., in Calistoga.

"Solage is thrilled to host FireProofs and show our neighbors that they are supported by a community who wants to see their lives made whole again," said Philip Kendall, managing director at Solage.

Several local events associations are working together to make the event possible.

Melissa Hagen, president of the San Francisco chapter of the National Association of Catering & Events (NACE) says it is "an honor to come together with our industry friends for such a great cause!"

Cindy Danbom of the Wedding International Professional Association Northern California (WIPA) said they've "recruited outstanding event professionals to ensure the best experience for the families being photographed."

"We are humbled and grateful for the opportunity to provide new family portraits that can be cherished and passed through the generations," Danbom said.

Families wishing to participate need to pre-register by visiting Fireproofs_SignUps.

"We are proud to assist in this heartwarming project that will replace treasured family photos lost to the fires," said Heather Vieira, president of the Sonoma/Napa chapter of the International Live Events Association (ILEA).

Photo credit: Sergii Sobolevskyi/Shutterstock.com