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Wildland Firefighter Foundation / Articles and Letters / Previous Articles / Please Join Or Renew
Please Join Or Renew
By Vicki Minor
It’s a New Year and we’re reminding you that we need your 52 Club memberships. When we started this membership drive last spring, we didn’t give too much thought to year number two, and here we are! Your membership is an annual opportunity to give and be a part of something big. We’re counting on all 1,200 of you currently on the 52 list to renew your membership commitment to the wildland firefighting community and we want to see a WHOLE LOT MORE OF YOU!
Now, probably more than ever, we need the support of EVERYONE in the firefighting community. As most of you know, last year was a pretty slow fire season – that means fewer opportunities for us to get out in fire camps to meet each of you - and raise funds. Although it was a slow season, unfortunately we did have some fatalities. We were busy passing on help from our wonderful wildland firefighting community to families of firefighters like Daniel Holmes, Bill Baxter, Alan Toepke, and sending statues to those just mentioned, and more killed in the line of duty like Eva Schicke, Mike Ward, and Randy Hoffman.
This year (2004), with the help of the Wildland Firefighting Community, we were also able to:
- Put together airline tickets (thank you United Airlines) for the Arrowhead Hotshots to fly from California to New Hampshire to attend the funeral of Daniel Holmes.
- Place markers of wildland firefighter fatalities at the Wildland Firefighter Monument
- Cover expenses for the Storm King families to attend a 10-year memorial event
- Attend trade shows, exhibitions, fire academies, and public policy meetings to represent and recognize wildland firefighters, their families, and continue to promote the Foundation
Our hope is to build up our funds so that money is available to provide scholarships and educational opportunities for the children that are left behind.
If you are a parent of a wildland firefighter, we especially appeal to you. Your 52 Club membership ensures that we are able to help all parents when they lose a child. We not only provide money to pay for those unforeseen expenses, but we are here to help through the emotional turmoil that is a part of death.
Remember, you’ll receive a pin, patch, helmet sticker, and your name listed on our website when you become a member.
Thank you and our very best to you and yours!
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