DONATIONS FOR FIREFIGHTERS

Donations for Firefighters and Evacuees - UPDATED ... Tuesday, June 26, 2012 Mary Scott WITH A LOCAL FUND FOR LOCAL FIREFIGHTERS Colorado Springs and El Paso County Officials would like to thank the community for their very generous donations to firefighters who are working on the Waldo Canyon Fire. The management team and firefighters cannot adequately express the level of gratitude they feel for all the items that have been brought to fire camp. Unfortunately, these donations are overwhelming the capacity of the fire camp to manage, store and consume them. The firefighters are fed daily by a contract caterer who provides the firefighters with all the food they require, including the calories and nutritional requirements they need to keep up the hard work that they do. This contract pays the caterer for each firefighter in camp regardless of whether they eat of not. From this point on, please do not bring food or other donated items to the fire camp. You can continue to show support for firefighters by placement of thank you signs on fences and in your yards. These messages are seen by all firefighters and are greatly appreciated. Please do not deliver goods of any type to the shelters or to the fire staging areas. These sites are overwhelmed with donations and the management of these donations distracts from the primary goal of public safety. Below is where good donations can be delivered: Care and Share (water and non-perishables), M-F, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m., 2605 Preamble Court Goodwill – Go to discovermygoodwill.org for the list of local donation centers. The Pikes Peak Community Foundation has created The Waldo Canyon Fire Fighter’s Fund to support the efforts of public and volunteer fire departments in El Paso and Teller Counties. This fund will provide financial resources for the fire departments working on this effort – supporting any needs that may arise, from food and cots to firefighting equipment – as well as future wildfire mitigation efforts in the Pikes Peak region. Members of the community may support the firefighters by donating online at www.ppcf.org. The Pikes Peak Community Foundation is also encouraging donors to support the efforts of the local chapter of the American Red Cross to help those displaced by the fire, Pikes Peak Humane Society in their efforts help displaced animals, and Care and Share. Once again, we cannot express how much we appreciate the kindness and generosity of the Pike Peak region. We remind everyone to follow the proper donation channels to maximize the benefits of food, money, or other items to the evacuees and responders.