Grant fire district 5 raises funds for burns
Jonda Spurbeck/Columbia Basin HeraldMicheal Nicholson holds a pair of boots that will be used during the Give Burns the Boot fund-raiser Saturday.
MOSES LAKE - Grant County Fire District No. 5 is raising funds for the Northwest Burn Foundation.
On Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. firefighters will be at several Moses Lake business locations collecting donations and distributing fire and burn prevention information, said Barbie Maier, District No. 5 EMS operational chief.
Firefighters will be stationed at Safeway, Walmart, Food Pavilion and Lep-re-kon to allow people to place money in firefighter boots. A donation boot will also be at Sporty's Steakhouse.
The effort is part of a statewide fund-raiser for the Northwest Burn Foundation called Give Burns the Boot. The funds allow the foundation to provide support services to burn victims and their families, Maier said.
"Their goal is to spread burn prevention awareness while asking for your help to fill firefighter boots with donations supporting critical burn prevention and burn survivor programs," according to the fire department. "These boots symbolize the courage and strength of burn survivors and the hope for an end to burn injuries."
Between 1.5 million and 2 million people are burned each year in the U.S. and Canada, the fire department advised. Burns are the second leading cause of death for children under age 4. For children under 5 years old, the most common burns are scalds. Scalds pose a threat to the elderly and people with disabilities, according to the fire department.
Saturday marks the event's 22 anniversary during National Fire Prevention Week.