INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — An Incline Village nonprofit has made a sizeable donation to the Nevada Red Cross to support western wildfire relief for people and pets affected by fires.

The Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation donated $2 million to support the Red Cross’ disaster response mission, Red Cross officials announced on Wednesday.

This is the first donation to Red Cross from the Duffield Foundation and includes:

— $1 million to fund the Red Cross Western Wildfire response to help people and their animals who have been impacted by the blazes, including domestic pets

— $1 million to support ongoing local disaster relief responses and programs in the Red ross Utah/Nevada Region

“Dave and Cheryl Duffield have always been tremendous stewards of our community, and this gift will help us to consistently respond to needs created by disasters,” said Mary Powell, executive director of the American Red Cross Northern Nevada Chapter. “The donation will support the Red Cross staff and volunteers’ mission to make our communities more resilient to disasters and answer the call when help is needed most.”

The charitable foundation also supports animal welfare causes and organizations, and as part of the grant, will collaborate with the Red Cross of Northern Nevada to advise on the inclusion of pet initiatives in disaster response planning in Nevada, according to Powell.

“The Duffields live in Northern Nevada, and they appreciate local Red Cross efforts to help both animals and people in times of need,” Powell said.

As part of the grant, the Red Cross will provide 10 Nevada Animal Welfare Coalition organizations with the virtual Red Cross Pet First Aid training course.

During last year’s western wildfire response, more than 1,100 trained Red Cross volunteers responded to assist those affected by the fires. The volunteers made more than 17,500 interactions with victims providing emotional support, health services, and spiritual care – along with providing meals, a safe place to sleep, and financial assistance.

“We are honored to have been able to assist and support the efforts of the Red Cross during the 2021 wildfires,” the foundation said in a news release. “We look forward to our future collaboration and partnership with the Red Cross of Northern Nevada to assist people and their pets during difficult times, including disaster response planning and pet first aid training courses.”