Walking Forward in Grief: Rick Arthur's Journey Back to Altadena Community
- MADE IN DENA
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Some moments call you back into the world, even when grief has taught you to stay still.
For Rick Arthur, Altadena has always been more than a place he lived. It is the community that shaped his happiest years, welcomed him without conditions, and held him through loss. And now — at 73 years old, after surviving the devastation of the Eaton Fire — Rick is choosing to walk forward again.
On January 4, Rick will walk the Altadena Forever Run 5K, not as a fundraiser by habit, not as a lifelong charity organizer, but as a neighbor who believes that showing up still matters.
In his own words:
“Dear friends and loved ones,My days of donating to good causes, and of asking you to support me in fundraising efforts for them, are way last century.Yet here I am again.I’m walking in the Altadena Forever Run’s 5K on Jan. 4 to aid Eaton Fire victims, and if you have the financial wherewithal, anything you can contribute would be most appreciated.Thank you.”
This isn’t performative generosity.This is personal.
A Life Rooted in Altadena
Rick lived in Altadena, on the 3600 block of North Glenrose, from 1983 to 1999 — years he still calls the best of his life. Even after spending a decade in Seattle and another in Dubai, Altadena never left him.
What made it home wasn’t just geography. It was the small-town soul.The radical acceptance.The way people of every race, creed, background, and orientation were welcomed without explanation.The unspoken agreement that community mattered.
When Rick eventually returned — to North Allen, then South Mentor — joy lived in the everyday rituals: walking the streets and trails, visiting thrift stores and Freddy’s Antiques, shopping at Altadena Hardware, supporting local events, working out at the Senior Center, and dancing at the Mariposa Junction Night Market.
Altadena had always known how to make life feel human.
Then the Fire Took What Couldn’t Be Replaced
The Eaton Fire shattered that sense of continuity for thousands of families — Rick included.
He lost the house he loved.
A home filled with sustaining memories.
A place where decades of life had quietly accumulated meaning.
Like many survivors, Rick couldn’t bring himself to re-enter the burn zone for months. The grief was already heavy, and he feared what seeing the destruction would do to his heart.
Loss settled in deeply.
Not just of structures, but of history.
What Brought Him Back Was Community
Healing didn’t arrive suddenly.
It came in moments.
At the community festivals at Muir.
At Winter Bloom, Altadena’s first major post-fire gathering.
At the reopening of Mariposa.
At the library, watching Rhythms of the Village, tears in his eyes, heart wide open.
These moments didn’t erase grief — but they reminded Rick of something essential:
Altadena was still showing up for itself.
Why the Altadena Forever Run Matters
The Altadena Forever Run exists to support Eaton Fire victims and to strengthen the bond between the community and those who serve it, including Altadena Station and the LASD Elite Team.
It’s not about speed.
It’s about solidarity.
At 73, Rick isn’t walking to prove endurance — he already has.
He’s walking because community requires participation, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Each step is an act of remembrance.
Each mile is an affirmation that Altadena’s story did not end with the fire.
Altadena Forever isn’t a slogan. It’s a commitment.
How You Can Support Rick — and the Community
Rick doesn’t ask lightly, and he doesn’t ask often, but this moment matters.
If you have the ability to give, your contribution — no matter the size — directly supports Eaton Fire victims and the community still rebuilding its sense of home.
🎥 Learn more about the run:https://m.youtube.com/shorts/yUABT_PAPQA
This is not about charity. It’s about neighbors supporting neighbors.
MADE IN DENA Will Be There — Because Showing Up Matters
MADE IN DENA will be an official vendor at the Altadena Forever Run, standing alongside Rick, fellow walkers, elders, families, and first responders.
We’ll be there because community doesn’t heal from a distance. It heals through presence. After the Eaton Fire, showing up matters more than ever — and this run is one way we do that together.
Altadena Forever, Indeed
Rick Arthur’s walk is quiet. It’s not flashy. It’s deeply human, and it reminds us that unity after disaster is not automatic — it is chosen.
On January 4, Rick will walk.
And through him, the rest of us are invited to walk too — with our feet, our hearts, or our support.
Altadena Forever.
Pasadena United.
DENA Always.
