South City Businesses Join San Bruno Relief Effort

South San Francisco businesses are gearing up to help San Bruno disaster victims, with Costco leading the way.

Melissa McCurdy spends most of her days managing the South San Francisco Costco store, but when the local news interrupted the football game she was watching Thursday night with the news of a deadly explosion in San Bruno, she knew she had to help.

Within hours, Costco became involved in the aid drive, donating food and water to the San Bruno recreation center where evacuated families were housed.

By Friday morning, McCurdy's efforts had hers and other Bay Area Costco warehouses soliciting donations from customers walking through their doors.

"As of now we've gotten $3,200 for this location," she said Friday afternoon. "We also have $12,000 coming in from Costco stores around the Bay Area."

South San Francisco Chamber of Commerce CEO Maria Matinucci sent out a bulletin Friday afternoon to her membership providing links to show where to send money to the American Red Cross and sign up for blood donations.

Back at Costco, Nasfar Khoury loaded up a shopping cart with bags of ice for firefighters and made his way to a delivery truck headed for the San Bruno emergency services command center.

McCurdy said as the fire became more contained, she was getting better information about what was needed by emergency responders, including canopies, food and snacks for emergency personnel and toiletries like toothpaste and toothbrushes.

"We're here for the community," McCurdy said. "They've been here for us."

McCurdy also plans to have a blood donation bus stop by the store next week to encourage people to donate blood.