(September 10, 2005, updated) -- Horns honked, drivers parked and neighbors walked up to buy donated food and drinks on Studebaker Rd. @ Los Santos Ave. as LB's El Dorado Park South Neighborhood Ass'n raised money for American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina relief.

The grasroots Sept. 10 fundraiser was amplified by official Red Cross Katrina-Aid materials (a story in itself, details below).

Among those spotted prior to our arrival was Vice Mayor Jackie Kell...who we're told made a generous donation.

El Dorado Park Neighborhood Association boardmember Grace Earl staffs the coffee and donut booth. Coffee was donated by It's A Grind (ELB Pavilions shopping plaza). Donuts were donated by Krispy Kreme.

LBPD Sgt. Todd Muilenburg (ret.), snazzy red shirt in photo, chats with son, LBPD Officer Travis Muilenburg, uniformed for duty as part of LBPD's bike patrol (and yes, he can drive a Segway, too.)

"This started as a little neighborhood thought and evolved into this," said Dad Todd, pointing to the Red Cross Katrina-Aid materials lining. A long-time LBPD Public Information Officer experienced in organizing attention-getting events, Sgt. Muilenburg said that 48 hours before the event he'd phoned the Red Cross, found their staff extremely busy...and during the conversation learned that he could sign a third-party disclosure form enabling him to officially collect donations on behalf of the Red Cross' behalf.

That produced access to official Red Cross Katrina-Aid signage and attention-getting materials, escalating the event's visibility.

Members of Cub Scout Pack 206, Den 8, assisted in waving signs and arrows.

Den Leader Brenda Moxon kept a watchful eye on her Cub Scouts.

Kym Livesay was one of the neighborhood sparkplugs for the event.

"We passed out fliers to the whole neighborhood. We have a distribution system that passes out our neighborhood newsletter, and all of those 50 volunteers passed out our fliers. And then we had people posting signs in all of the local business." Many businesses donated food and supplies...and the food was sold on a donation basis.

Sgt. Muilenburg managed to corral two-gallon collection barrels -- 100 of them -- graciously donated by Smith Paint to the Red Cross. "Then I wound up spending about three hours putting Red Cross logos on them," he quipped.

Hotdogs were clearly in demand.

Money from this hotdog (and others) will find its way from LB to the Gulf Coast.

[Update 11:35 p.m.: Preliminary total for funds raised: $7,800]