Denny’s server rallies customers to raise money for Anchorage fire victims

ANCHORAGE -

What started out as a normal Thursday at an Anchorage Denny's took a sudden turn after the restaurant received some unexpected guests. Red Cross volunteers and Anchorage police officers came in and requested seating in a private area of the restaurant. They were accompanied by families who had been displaced from their homes on Lunar Drive after a fire ripped through the building earlier that morning.

Server Diane Larson, who has been working for Denny's for about two years, was tending to a few of her regular customers at the time. She said the families were in shock after what had happened. They had nothing but the clothes on their back and one of them had a newborn baby.

The families ordered food, but none of them seemed particularly hungry, Larson said. While they were busy with their lunch, Larson went from table to table, telling customers what had happened. Dozens of people were eager to help, and offered Larson money to give to the families.

"[Larson] coordinated a donation effort from the patrons of the restaurant," said Shiloh Powell, one of the Red Cross case workers at the Denny's. "She talked with her usual customers that she sees on a normal basis. Those folks rallied together to provide some immediate financial assistance."

Larson said she was glad the community came together to help those in need.

"It's Christmas Eve, it's a community thing and it's just something that you do. When your down on your luck and you have people helping you out that makes you feel better. I knew they were in stress," Larson told Channel 2.

A church group of ten together donated over a hundred dollars, Larson said. Another man left and came back with an envelope for them, saying he had been in a similar situation in the past. Larson says she doesn't know how much she was able to collect for the families in total.

"I don't have a clue," Larson said. "A lot of it was in private envelopes. Some people wanted to remain anonymous."

Powell said the money collected was shared equally among the families before they eventually left the restaurant to move in with other friends and family members for the night. But that wasn't all. An APD Officer had already paid for the families' meals and the Red Cross volunteers' coffee before leaving.

"Officer Jean paid for their breakfast and coffee. She has a heart of gold," Larson said.