When the devastating fires broke out in Los Angeles on February 7th, it quickly became apparent that evacuees desperately needed support and emergency supplies.
Now, when dire situations arise, your first thought might not be "call in the influencers," but the powerful ripple effect of Holt Williams and Christopher Bailey, co-founders of the Klover King Agency, might have you thinking twice.
Klover King Agency
The agency helps build and support social media talent, primarily street food vendors, such as hotdog grillers and burrito makers. Bailey, also known as "Klover King," is a viral TikTok superstar in his own right, making breakfast burritos in downtown L.A. with over 340,000 followers.
Their collective TikTok presence is so effective that it only took moments for a simple action to turn into a massive movement with thousands of volunteers.
Amid news of mass evacuation orders, Williams and Bailey, along with other stars of the Klover King Agency, assembled in a parking lot at the Rose Bowl. There, they set up shop and began doing what they do best: cooking and posting.
"We just sort of rally like that," Williams told Heroes Host Heather Jordan.
"We were stocked up with about 400 [hotdogs], but before we even finished them, we had trucks of supplies coming from the TikTok support," Bailey said.
Klover King Agency
"This guy came from a church. He said he needed 40 hot dogs for people stuck in the church that lost their homes, so we gave them to him - he came back with 10 trucks full of supplies."
Bailey said the number of donations that poured in thanks to his TikTok viewers was so massive that it forced the group to move to a larger site.
Klover King Agency
With some help from volunteers, they secured a parking lot at the Santa Anita racetrack, where they spent several more days feeding the hungry, organizing distributions, and giving supportive hugs.
"You know, when your heart breaks just because you care, you want to do something," Bailey said. "So people came from all over the country to get here and help us. I think it became more about boosting the morale of Southern California and just helping anybody that needed something."
Thanks to the power of social media, what started as a few locals lending a hand quickly became one of the biggest relief efforts in L.A. County history, landing Holt Williams, Christopher Bailey, and the entire Klover King Agency as our KNX Heroes of the Week.
Check out all our KNX Heroes here.
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