Local associations, Truckee Meadows Firefighters Local 3895 and Incline Firefighters Local 2139, recently hosted a BBQ to support Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation (NNCCF) in conjunction with a head shaving event to support St. Baldrick’s Foundation on March 13. Firefighters along with NNCCF families came together for a “Day at the Fire House.”
“The event is a time for families to meet and greet their local firefighters and for children to explore our fire engines and the station. We look forward to this event each year, as we are able to truly see the positive impact we can have on these families’ lives. We thank The Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation for helping to organize this event with us each year, as well as Raley’s for donating the food for the family BBQ lunch,” says Truckee Meadows Firefighter, Ian Satterfield.
Incline Firefighter Captain Carol Green says, “We are grateful to be able to come together and personally present these families with the proceeds from our annual Charitable Blackjack Tournament, which is sponsored by both firefighter associations. The annual head shaving benefitting St. Baldrick’s is also a highlight of the event, as we are able to give back to two worthy charities.”
Childhood cancer leaves a devastating impact on families from the time a diagnosis is made to even beyond treatment. It is the top disease-related killer of children, with about 50 children in northern Nevada diagnosed with some sort of childhood cancer each year. “Seeing the bravery these families go through everyday is eye-opening. Their bravery is one of the many reasons why we continuously support them,” says NNCCF Executive Director Debbie Strickland.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the other charitable organization benefitting from the firefighters associations’ efforts, is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long, healthy lives. The goal of the “Day at the Fire House” annual event is not only to help those families going through childhood cancer, but to assist in funding the research to cure it.
