Dick Van Dyke Brings 'Mary Poppins' Magic to Fundraiser for California Wildfires

Dick Van Dyke, the beloved 99-year-old Hollywood icon, once again proved why he's a national treasure. Hosting an intimate fundraiser dubbed "Vandy Camp," Van Dyke aimed to support California's Community Brigade, an organization dedicated to training volunteers in wildfire and emergency response preparedness.

With his wife, Arlene Silver, and his a cappella group, The Vantastix, by his side, the "Mary Poppins" star graced the stage at Malibu's Aviator Nation Dreamland. The group performed memorable tunes from his illustrious career, including a spirited rendition of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." A video shared on Instagram captured the group rehearsing the titular song from his 1968 classic, among other hits.

Van Dyke and Arlene paid homage to his iconic "Mary Poppins" character by donning T-shirts that featured illustrations of him in the film and the title of the toe-tapping number "Step In Time." Adding a playful twist to the evening, he performed a parody of "The Bare Necessities" from Disney's "The Jungle Book," cheekily rewriting lyrics to poke fun at his age. Honestly, who else could make 99 look this cool?

Despite humbly warning the crowd, "I really don’t sing anymore, so this is going to be something," his performance of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" earned thunderous applause. During a pause in the evening, Van Dyke reflected on his personal experiences with wildfires, sharing that his home narrowly escaped damage in recent blazes. "Somehow our house survived. We got singed a little bit on the garage, but we almost, almost," he recounted, adding that he's faced five fires in his lifetime, including the infamous Bel-Air fire of 1961. "It's fate. Somebody's looking out for me," he quipped.

He also shared harrowing memories of evacuating during the Franklin Fire in December 2024. During an appearance on "Today," the actor described the terrifying moment when flames crept over the hill near his home. Exhausted and unable to reach his car, three neighbors came to his rescue and even managed to put out a fire in the guest house. Van Dyke later assured fans on Facebook that he and his wife had safely evacuated with their animals.

Interestingly, the Franklin Fire came shortly after Van Dyke's home was featured in Coldplay’s music video for "All My Love," a fitting tribute to his decades-long career. Talk about a man who’s lived through Hollywood history—and still has the energy to lend his voice to a good cause.