BAKERSFIELD, CA - The official start of summer is less than a week away. Kern County has already had several days of triple digit heat, and the heat can be deadly.
That is why 17 News and the Volunteer Center are joining forces and collecting fans this Wednesday to give to people who need the relief.
The need is great. Thanks to donations last year, the Volunteer Center was able to hand out 500 fans. But that still didn't meet the demand. And this year, the list is already growing.
Mercy Pena has already signed up to receive a donated fan after hers recently stopped working.
"I think it just burned out. I was using it so much in the summer, it just quit on me," said Pena.
Pena's fan was one she received free from our fan drive two years ago. Now, left with only a tiny, working fan and unable to afford air conditioning, the 67-year-old is counting on this year's fan drive to help her stay cool this summer.
"I am myself self-support so I have to save as much as I can," said Pena.
As the temperatures rise, so do the risks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 650 people die each year in the country due to heat. That is more fatalities caused by any other weather event combined. And, those over the age of 65 are most at risk. It's something Brenda Ratliff with the Volunteer Center is concerned with.
"Swamp coolers at a certain point in time, they really don't help. They need something to circulate the air. And, they are not able to get out. A lot of them have lung issues, health issues, and they are not able to go out and go to the cooling centers.
So the Volunteer Center goes to them, distributing donated fans to those most in need in our community. They give to people like Mercy Pena, who is left sweating it out, waiting for a windfall of donations to bring her much needed relief.
"This fan that was so good broke down. So I needed a new one," said Pena.
The fan drive is Wednesday from 5 a.m. until 7 p.m. outside the KGET studios on 22nd and M Streets. We'll be collecting new and gently used fans as well as monetary donations.
The Volunteer Center has a deal with several big box stores to purchase fans at a discounted price with the money collected.