Whole Foods-West L.A. To Donate 5 Percent of Sales to Friends of Historic Fire Station 62

The Whole Foods Market-West Los Angeles will donate 5 percent of sales Wednesday to the new non-profit Friends of Historic Fire Station 62 in Mar Vista.

The nonprofit was formed to convert the shuttered fire station at 3631 Centinela Blvd. into a community center.

The fundraiser will jumpstart fundraising to restore the buidling, said Sharon Commins, president of the Mar Vista Community Council.

The Whole Foods Market-West Los Angeles at 11666 National Blvd. holds 5 percent days twice a year and chooses grassroots non-profit groups to assist, said Katina Stallworth, marketing supervisor for the store.

The fundraisers typically raise between $4,000 and $6,000, Stallworth said.

"We're trying to bring in as much as we can for this really great cause," she said. "We've been pounding the pavement and trying to get the word out earlier than usual for this."

Fliers will be distributed during this weekend's Mar Vista Green Gardens Showcase and banners will be posted to let the community know about the event, Stallworth said. A Facebook page also has been created.

A blog dedicated to providing information on the efforts to convert the fire station into a community center offered these details on its background: "On December 12, 1947, the City of Los Angeles purchased lots 1 and 2 for $6,110 to build a fire station to replace the outdated Venice Firehouse on the corner of Main Street and Rose Avenue. Construction on the 50 by 110 foot building didn’t begin until the last week of November, 1949; the $77,500 “bungalow-style” station was completed in July of 1950. Fire Station 62 was formally dedicated on August 25, 1950."