Local firefighters ready to play Santa for another year.
SANFORD – In 1996, two firefighters with the
Sanford Fire Department envisioned a way to bring Christmas cheer to burned children. More than 20 years and thousands of gifts later, they're still at it.
"Our first goal was to support the Burn Center," explains
David Nance, a long-time firefighter and co-founder of the
3 Alarm Toy Drive with fellow firefighter
Frank Layton. "We just wanted to make those kids' lives a little bit easier, especially during Christmas," Nance says.
However, as the toy drive grew, the department has been able to supply gifts for
Lee County Schools, the
Department of Social Services, the
Salvation Army, and other local charities.
For example, Nance and other firefighters took an enclosed 16-foot trailer full of toys, blankets, hygiene items, and more to the Rocky Mount Fire Department when a hurricane flooded that region. They also sent a load to Mississippi after a tornado ripped through several towns.
But the
NC Jaycee Burn Center at UNC is near and dear to local firefighters' hearts, and their top priority. The
Lee County chapter of the
North Carolina Firefighters’ Burned Children Fund – also founded by Nance and Layton –provides support and assistance throughout the year to families of children who've been burned and local firefighters visit with patients at the Burn Center frequently.
Playing Santa is just one more way we can brighten the lives of those children and adults, adds Layton.
To learn more about the
Lee County Firefighters' Burned Children Fund, go to
www.ffbcf.org. For questions about the
3 Alarm Toy Drive, call 919-775-8242.