FOUNTAIN VALLEY

The show is over, but the money keeps rolling in. Fountain Valley Fire Capt. John Cucinotti says he can barely keep up with donations still streaming in days after Arnie’s Hope, a dinner and concert held May 28 for a resident with Lou Gehrig’s disease. So far, the event has raised $20,000 for Arnie Futagaki’s in-home health care, Cucinotti said. “It’s an unbelievable amount for such a small community,” he said. At Arnie’s Hope, firefighters donned tuxedos to serve the 250 residents who paid at least $40 a plate. Arnie’s wife, Shirley, has been his sole caretaker, but the task became overwhelming this year when the disease took over his body, leaving his mind unaffected. She said they have been uplifted by the community support. “He just sobbed the whole night,” she said. “He loved it. He sat up so straight, and was smiling and crying.”