The Burnaby Fire Fighters Charitable Society is hard at work to make our community a better place, and we need your help. We can make a difference.

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The Burnaby Fire Fighters Charitable Society represents Burnaby Fire Fighters in their mission to raise money for community groups and non-profit organizations. The Society has no paid employees – fire fighters volunteer their time to administer the business of the Society.

Our ongoing dedication to help our community is reflected in the kind of work we do: firefighters are prepared to put our lives on the line to protect the community. We know that protecting a community is about more than handling emergencies – it’s about helping people in our community every day – people who have to deal with health problems, disabilities, poverty, abuse, hunger and so many other issues. We know we can make a difference.

Who we support

Although we primarily support Burnaby-based charities, our Society contributes sizeable annual donations to more than 40 Lower Mainland charitable and community organizations, including:

• Burnaby Hospital Foundation

• Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation

• St. Michael’s Hospice

• The Food Bank

• BC Special Olympics

• Burnaby Family Life

• BCPFFA Burn Fund

• Dry Grad ceremonies at all Burnaby Secondary Schools

• Burnaby Seniors Outreach Society

• South Burnaby Neighbourhood House

• Variety Club

• Burnaby Christmas and Camping Bureau

• Pacific Assistance Dogs Society

Programs

In addition to fundraising, our members are also active in delivering vital programs to people throughout our community. Over the past several years, the Burnaby Fire Fighters have:

• taught thousands of students and community members how to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation

• founded the "VITAL INFORMATION PROGRAM" (VIP), a tool that assists emergency personnel in the event of a crisis

• been active in fire prevention awareness, helping both children and adults understand how to prevent fires and what to do if one occurs

In September 2005, the Burnaby Fire Fighters Charitable Society initiated a nutritional snack program at two of Burnaby’s elementary schools and a community centre. These schools were identified as having a high proportion of students from low income families, and nutrition was a major concern. Burnaby Fire Fighters purchase and deliver nutritious snacks for these two schools on a regular basis. The teachers have reported great results from this simple program: children are more focused and learning in the classroom has improved. We hope to expand this program to other schools that have been identified as having similar challenges.

Awards

The Burnaby Fire Fighters Charitable Society received the Community Service Award at the Burnaby Business Excellence Awards. It is an award that our members treasure, as it is something that they all made possible through their own selfless donation of time and effort.

Scotiabank supports Burnaby Fire Fighters Charitable Society

Many thanks to one of our major sponsors, Scotiabank, who recently presented a cheque for more than $9,791.10 to match funds raised at our Annual Charitable Ball and our Annual Golf Tournament in 2009. Local 323 President Rob Lamoureux and Captain Terry Bingley accepted the cheque presented by Andrew Porter, Susanne Kingshott and Lana Russell from Scotiabank at Fire Hall #5 in Burnaby on December 5, 2009.

Annual Charitable Ball supports local community organizations and non-profit societies

Many thanks to our sponsors, donors and volunteers for making our Annual Charitable Ball such a complete success! With the funds raised, the Burnaby Fire Fighters Charitable Society is able to carry on with supporting the many organizations and non-profit societies in our community that provide valuable services to those in need. We are proud to contribute both time and money to these groups and it could not be done without our generous sponsors, donors and volunteers who make our Annual Charitable Ball a highlight event.

Funding

The Burnaby Fire Fighters Charitable Society is primarily funded through the efforts of our members. More than half of our members contribute to the Society through payroll deduction, in addition to the considerable amount of personal time they spend volunteering at community events. In order to maintain our commitment to these charities, we have established the Burnaby Fire Fighters Charitable Endowment Fund. We hope to raise $2,000,000 for the endowment fund (this generates its own revenue which can then be used for donations without touching the principal amount). We have already raised nearly $670,000 and will continue to work towards achieving our goal.

You can help us!

Donations to our charitable efforts may be made by mailing a cheque or money order to:

Burnaby Fire Fighters Charitable Society

#205 - 6515 Bonsor Avenue

Burnaby, BC V3B 7G2

Phone 604-434-1717

Your donation goes directly to the community groups and non-profit organizations that we support. Please specify whether you want your donation directed to our Endowment Fund or to a specific charitable group.

For further information about what you can do to help the Burnaby Fire Fighters Charitable Society, please contact Jeff Clark at 604-313-3192 or by email at clarkhse239@yahoo.ca.