Dodgers to Honor Burn Victim Champion

George Holgate might not be a household name, but for a few moments today the Orange resident will be cheered by an audience of thousands.

Just before the game at Dodger Stadium, Holgate will be escorted onto the field to be recognized as a “Hometown Hero.”

The investor is one of 20 people chosen by the baseball team and Inglewood’s Centinela Hospital to symbolize the inspirational breaking of barriers achieved by Jackie Robinson 50 years ago, Dodger spokeswoman Anne Heaphy said.

Holgate, who gave his age only as mid-50s, was with friends at a San Pedro marina in 1992 when they saw an unoccupied yacht that was leaking gasoline. Holgate managed to get the boat away from the dock but failed to get off before the vessel exploded. He was exposed to a 2,000-degree blast for about five seconds before jumping into the water.

Burns covered 40% of his body, including his face, which was all but obliterated, and his hands, which still barely function. The pain continues today, he said.

Despite his injuries, he agreed in 1996 to take the volunteer position of executive director of the Orange County Burn Assn.

“Burns take years to heal. Sometimes it’s a lifetime process,” said Holgate, who colleagues say has been known to jump into his car and race to the bedsides of depressed patients. “It’s tough to survive a burn.”

The association, founded by firefighters in 1979, provides medical information, support groups, picnics and other events to coax burn victims back into the mainstream.

Holgate also volunteers his time with juvenile arson offenders.