For the past year, a group of classic car enthusiasts has gathered every Saturday morning in Altadena, turning their shared grief into mutual support. This Saturday, January 10—marking the one-year anniversary of the Eaton Fire—Altadena Cars and Coffee is extending their gathering from its usual two-hour window to a full six-hour fundraising event.
The group’s origin story reflects the deep wounds the fire left on the community. When Dave Stone walked through the fire-devastated neighborhoods, he was struck by the loss. “You notice two things: cars and chimneys, but in particular it was the cars for me. It really wrecked me and broke my heart, and so I thought, what could I do to help people? And, that’s how this started.”
What began as a therapeutic gathering has evolved into something larger. Stone, who runs the “Not EV Altadena” Instagram account, posts twice weekly stories about lost vehicles and their owners, helping families fundraise for replacements.
This Saturday’s extended event—running from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 749 E. Altadena Drive—will feature raffles, a beer garden, and food from Rodney’s Ribs and Nancy’s Greek Cafe. The fundraiser benefits Hipolito Cisneros’s restoration of his 1972 Datsun 510, lost in the fire.
For Cisneros, Stone’s storytelling work carries profound meaning: “I don’t want my car to die. Just by his little story and the way he narrates it, it still keeps my car alive no matter what.” His wife, Elizabeth Cisneros, added: “His stories help people connect and hear that other people are going through the same horrors and maybe reach out to those people and say hey, you know what, let’s talk about it.”
Altadena Cars and Coffee Hippo Fundraiser will run on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, at 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Bulgarini Gelato, 749 E. Altadena Drive, Altadena, CA 91001. For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/AltadenaChamber/posts/hippo-fundraisersaturday-january-10-2026-from-8am-to-2pm749-e-altadena-dr-altade/1180073607649369/.
