L.A. REACHES OUT TO KATRINA VICTIMS.

Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer

Southlanders reacted to the barrage of televised images of chaos and devastation in the Gulf Coast on Friday with an outpouring of generosity, organizing fundraising drives and collecting food and clothing for the storm-ravaged victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Children emptied piggy banks at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts stores across Los Angeles, while everything from large corporations to mom-and-pop restaurants started up local donation drives.

``While the whole scale of this is nearly overwhelming, it just takes individual efforts on the parts of all of us,'' said John Mitchell, a spokesman for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, whose Canoga Park employees have donated enough items to fill a 53-foot flatbed truck.

``We put out the word yesterday - and remember, this is a holiday weekend - and you would not believe the amount of material that came in,'' Mitchell said, adding that the goods would be shipped to NASA's Stennis Space Center near Biloxi, Miss., for distribution to hard-hit areas.

Employees also made donations to a matching fund for all hurricane victims set up by United Technologies Corp., the parent company of Pratt & Whitney, Mitchell said. It was just one of many corporations setting up matching funds this week.

Southern California residents were encouraged to stop by any Krispy Kreme Doughnuts store Friday to make a donation to the American Red Cross to support disaster assistance.

``We've probably raised around $3,000 in one day,'' said Gail Diebel, manager of the Van Nuys Krispy Kreme store. ``We've had a lot of kids come in with their piggy banks, and people are really excited about giving donations. People have been watching (the television coverage) and say, There's got to be something I can do to help.''

Speaking in Los Angeles on Friday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged Californians to donate money and blood to help the Gulf Coast victims through the tragedy.

Friday's fundraising efforts followed a huge drive at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday and Thursday's Rose Bowl campaign, which raised about $1.1 million for the Red Cross.

Many of the Rose Bowl donations were small, but some were as high as $5,000 and $10,000, said Dereck Andrade of the San Gabriel Valley Red Cross Chapter.

Several restaurants, including Hollywood diner Schwab's Restaurant at the corner of Sunset and Vine, have started fundraising drives. Schwab's, which will collect donations until Sept. 10 for the Red Cross, has pledged to match the first $5,000 in donations.

Its chef, Michelle Matlock, 30, is a native of New Orleans who moved to Los Angeles a year ago after seeing Hurricane Ivan clip the Gulf Coast last year. She has only been able to contact half of her family members and hasn't heard from her father and 80-year-old grandfather in two days.

``My adopted mother's husband was airlifted out of the two-story building I lived in before I moved to Los Angeles; it was 16 feet under water,'' she said.

``Anybody who's been there knows we need to do all we can to pull our brothers and sisters out of the water,'' Matlock said. ``That's what we're doing right now: We're pulling our family out.''

The 40th annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, a Labor Day tradition, also will solicit donations for hurricane relief in addition to raising money to fight neuromuscular diseases. According to an announcement, the telethon will also donate $1 million to the hurricane relief fund up front.

Beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday and ending at 3 p.m. Monday, the telethon will be broadcast from the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel and air locally on KCAL (Channel 9).

``Last year, we raised more than $59 million, but we have no clue what to expect this year because we're going to have a separate 800 number for the Salvation Army Relief fund (for hurricane victims),'' said Bob Mackle, spokesman for the telethon.

He noted that people might split their donations, but added that ``every time we think something is going to hurt our fundraising, the generosity of the American people really comes through for us.

``I think people have been genuinely touched just by the scope of the disaster - it's a biblical-scale disaster. Everyone can put themselves in the place of the people there, thinking, What would it be like to lose everything I have, and be out wandering the streets?''

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer cautioned Californians to seek reliable charities when donating to hurricane relief efforts.

``Unfortunately, we know from experience that scam artists will emerge and try to turn this tragedy into personal profit,'' Lockyer said. ``Donors should take a moment to evaluate relief funds in order to ensure that their money will help the hurricane victims and not simply line the pockets of those trying to cash in on this tragedy.''

Staff Writer Rick Orlov contributed to this report.

Lisa M. Sodders, [phone]

lisa.sodders(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Sandy Lincoln and Susanna Eldib, employees of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, sort through donated clothes Friday, part of the company's aid for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer

(2) Ed McMahon, left, discusses this year's Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon on Friday with stage manager Ken Stein at the site in the Beverly Hilton ballroom.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer