Angela Babala, left, Martine Colette and Mark Babala stand in front of a 1968 Ford Mustang that will be raffled off in September to raise funds for the Wildlife Waystation. Yermo residents Angela and Mark Babala donated the Mustang. Tickets cost $10 or you can buy six tickets for $50.
Tickets are on sale for $10 each, $50 for six raffle tickets or $100 for 12 tickets.
The raffle tickets can be purchased online at www.eventbrite.com/e/wildlife-waystation-40th-anniversary-9172016-need-not-be-present-to-win-tickets-25062262903?aff=efbneb.
Or they can be purchased in person at CT Sales Discount Auto Parts, located in Barstow at 1211 West Main St., or over phone by calling the Wildlife Waystation at 818-899-5201.
YERMO — Yermo resident Angela Babala is known for her affection for restoring classic cars, her outgoing personality and her “potty mouth.”
Soon everyone will have the opportunity to witness firsthand how accurate that is. Babala and her husband, Mark, are filming a reality television show called "Angel's Garage" that will be aired on a “cable network,” she said, acknowledging she is prevented from saying which one at this time.
Babala doesn’t hold much back. What you see is what you get, she said.
“Our show is centered around our love for restoring cars and real life,” she said. “This show won’t have any scripted (expletive). Mark and I are real people working in real situations. There will be some local businesses featured in the show. We’re just fun people. And people get to see some of our celebrity clients that come through Barstow and into our home and shop.”
The couple moved to Yermo from Michigan roughly two years ago and has operated their business from their home. Babala said she handles the office work and also gets her hands dirty with working on car interiors and also body work. Mark Babala does the engine rebuilds, metal work, welding, wiring and various other aspects, she said.
In 2011 the couple met Ralph Richeson, an actor who starred in the HBO series "Deadwood" and in the 2008 film "Hancock." The meeting turned into a beloved friendship, Babala said, and the couple would constantly visit Richeson at his Palmdale home.
Babala said Richeson is the reason she pursued starring in a show.
“He would always say we had to do something because of my personality,” Babala said. “He would say you have what it takes and he pushed us into moving out here. So we did about two years ago.”
Babala said once Richeson became ill, he stayed at the Babalas' home in hospice care. Richeson died of heart failure at a Palmdale hospital last October.
“I have his ashes. He left all his property to Mark and me. We had no idea. His family called us up and told us that Ralphie left all of this stuff to us in his will,” she said.
The couple also has formed a close friendship with actor Tommy Chong, for whom they are restoring a 1968 Chevrolet Corvette. Babala said the first episode of the reality show’s initial season will feature Chong.
Since moving to Yermo, the Babalas also have befriended the founder of Wildlife Waystation, a 160-acre private animal sanctuary nestled in the Angeles National Forest with over 400 wild and exotic animals. Wildlife Waystation was founded by animal care veteran Martine Colette in 1965 and incorporated in 1976.
The animal sanctuary is supported solely by donations from individuals and worldwide foundations.
Colette, who has over 40 years of experience in animal welfare and rescue, says the past five years have been “some of the toughest.”
“We have been forced to cut back severely on Waystation staff, relying on volunteers and supporters day-to-day,” she said. “They do a great job but it’s frustrating not having a complete, permanent staff to serve our animal population. … Animal rescue and protection has never been a money making business and those operations with large animal populations are especially vulnerable.”
Office manager Allison Delgado agrees, saying the Wildlife Waystation location is compliant to regulations that were established in 1976. Now they are forced to make significant renovations in order to be compliant to today’s standards and regulations and obtain a permit.
Since losing its operating permit, the sanctuary has been further cash strapped because there is no revenue coming in since they can not allow visitors to tour regularly tour the facility, Delgado said.
Instead the sanctuary can only have a certain amount of “special events” for fundraising purposes that are generally luncheons or dinners with a tour of the facility.
“In order to get our permit back we have to completely renovate by putting up new buildings,” she said. “We have to redo our whole hospital. It’s tough when you’re not making any money other than donations. On top of all our renovations that need to get done, you have to consider how much it costs to feed our animals. Our operating costs are very high. We have over 400 wild and exotic animals and it costs about $235,000 a month just to feed them all.”
After watching a news clip of the Wildlife Waystation, Babala said she immediately knew she wanted to help out. The Babalas stepped in and decided to donate a classic muscle car to be raffled off, with the proceeds going to the animal sanctuary. But it wasn’t as easy as simply donating the car to be raffled.
Delgado said the Babalas are hosting the raffle, raffling off the cars themselves and then whatever is raised through tickets will be donated to the Waystation.
“We donated the vehicle because we saw the love and care that the animals receive and want to see Wildlife Waystation thrive because they help so many beautiful animals,” Babala said.
The car being raffled is a fully refurbished, vintage 1968 Ford Mustang 390-4V. The last time the couple donated a car to be raffled off for charity it raised over $191,000.
The Mustang will be raffled off at the Wildlife Waystation during their 40th anniversary celebration on Sept. 17.