Ring the Bell Fund launches with Facebook providing initial $20,000 donation

Connecting school alarms to fire stations was the message of Ring the Bell Fund when it was launched at Facebook last week.  To help reinforce that message, Facebook made the first challenge grant donation of $20,000. The Ravenswood City School District will be the Fund’s first beneficiary.

“From the moment we learned about Ring The Bell Fund’s mission, we wanted to help,” said Tom Wirth, Facilities Operations Manager and board member of Ring The Bell Fund.  “Their commitment to keep our schools and communities safe aligns with Facebook’s interest in being a good neighbor.  We also want to encourage other businesses, community partners, and potential donors to help fund this need across the state.”

“Ring The Bell Fund’s launch was a great way to create awareness about an issue that is not widely known,” President and Founder Virginia Chang Kiraly said.  “Parents all over California assume that our schools are equipped with automatic sprinklers and monitored fire alarms.  Many are not and don’t have to be legally. There are gaps in the current state legislation that leave our schools vulnerable to fires and other safety issues that could cause a school fire.”

Menlo Park-based Ring The Bell Fund is an incorporated nonprofit awaiting the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to grant tax-exempt status. The Fund welcomes donations; once the Fund’s tax-exempt status is granted, it will be retroactively applied to all donations.