The first few moments of the ILWU Walk the Coast event on August 11 caused some apprehension for Local 13 longshoreman Dan Imbagliazzo. More than a year of preparation for the first annual coastwise charity event was about to unfold in the Berth 54/55 waterfront warehouse, donated for this purpose by Stevedoring Services of America (SSA).
“I was afraid no one would show up,” said Imbagliazzo. But his doubts soon eased when the San Pedro High School band, dressed in ILWU Walk the Coast shirts, marched into the warehouse playing the Star Spangled Banner, kicking off a day of activities.
“You could feel the energy in the room,” said Imbagliazzo. “That warehouse was energized. There was just amazing energy; you could feel it all day.”
Meanwhile, energy buzzed in Northern California and the Puget Sound, where hundreds of longshore workers, family and friends joined together at their own events to support charitable giving, the result of a spring 2011 Longshore Caucus resolution calling on all locals to participate in coordinated fundraisers.
The Southern California event benefitted Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), a children’s cancer charity chosen for its good work. ALSF was formed in honor of Alex Scott, an 8-year-old girl who died of neuroblastoma, a type of childhood cancer, in 2004, and whose mother, Liz, spoke at the ILWU’s Southern California event.
Imbagliazzo was inspired by seeing the union and the community working together. He said that event coordinator Robert Maynez, Local 63 Chief of Staff, and community member Judith Blahnik, both “worked tirelessly to get the whole affair organized.”
The 189 walkers, who logged 1.5 miles each, accumulated a total of 283.5 miles – enough to theoretically reach the Hearst Castle in San Simeon. Support from the community included a car show featuring 80 classic and specialty cars, a 7-plane flyover from the Tiger Squadron, an aerial water demonstration by Los Angeles Fire Department fire boats, and squad cars from Los Angeles Port Police represented by ILWU Local 65. Mark Reyes and six other Local 26 members provided security. Additionally, games and entertainment included three bands, Woody (Local 13’s leprechaun), a magician, Japanese Taiko drummers, and juggling by Gabriel Familathe, son of International Vice President Ray Familathe. Master of Ceremony Fritz Coleman from NBC4 in LA taped the day’s weather forecast while on site at the event.
The Puget Sound event, coordinated by Local 23 President Scott Mason, put the “fun” in fundraiser at the Wild Waves Theme Park. The 450 contributors enjoyed admission to the water park, a private BBQ lunch, and a silent auction that included many hand crafted items made by ILWU members.
The northwest event benefited PanCAN, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, a cause that, for many, hit close to home.
“I had a friend who passed away from cancer, Chrissie Salcido from Local 13—so I needed to step up,” said Eddie Flores, a Local 23 member who transferred from Local 13 nine years ago. In honor of Salcido, Flores arranged for a performance of the band Stay Grounded. The band donated much of their performance, and Flores paid the rest out of his own pocket. Kristina Miller, a Local 23 casual, served on the volunteer committee in honor of her uncle, Jack Bredeson, an A-man from Local 23 who died of pancreatic cancer. And Meghan Mason, a Local 23 B-woman, served on volunteer committee in honor of her aunt, Linda Mason, who died of pancreatic cancer when Meghan was seven years old.
For Larry Faker, a Local 23 pensioner, the event symbolized unity. Faker bought 25 tickets to the Puget Sound event for his family, and said, “I think it’s important for families to do things together. It’s just like the ILWU — if you are tight, you never lose.”
Mason said that support from the Coast Committee made the event possible. “The support from Bob McEllrath has been instrumental. Without President McEllrath, we would not have gotten this thing going.” The Coast Committee donated $5,000 to the events.
Mason also acknowledged significant help and donations from Locals 8, 19, 23, 52, and 98. And, he said, “the stagehands union, IATSE Local 15, helped us out tremendously by volunteering to do sound and stage, allowing a substantial contribution to benefit PanCAN.”
Undeterred, the committee and union members – including Locals 10, 34, 75 and 91– hosted a family and friends BBQ and raffle that raised a respectable $1,500 to fight childhood cancer.
Local 34 President Sean Farley. “The nice part is that the committee that was working on it learned a lot, and we can build on the event for next year. It was a huge learning curve. We just couldn’t jump through the hoops fast enough, but we learned a lot.”
Imbagliazzo said he hopes that this year’s success will inspire more and more locals to participate. “One of my goals was to have ILWU and community working together,” said Imbagliazzo. “The events were very successful in that regard, and the feeling that we all got should be shared with all of the locals. My hope is that more and more locals will participate, and eventually, all locals will take part in Walk the Coast.”
For more information on how your local can host or participate in a Walk the Coast event for next year, contact Dan Imbagliazzo at danimbag[at]cox[dot].net.