Firefighters for Kids gets boost from Boeing
The Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce presents Firefighters for Kids with a donation from Boeing and the Association of Washington Business. From left: Chamber Director Debbie Doran-Martinez, Firefighters for Kids president Mike Miner, Moses Lake Deputy Fire Chief Chris Callahan and Boeing Fire Local I-66 President Casey Yeager.
Joel Martin/Columbia Basin Herald
MOSES LAKE — Some families in the Columbia Basin will have a merrier Christmas, courtesy of The Association of Washington Business, Boeing and local firefighters.
Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce directors dropped by Moses Lake Fire Station 1 on Thursday to present Moses Lake Firefighter Mike Miner, president and founder of Firefighters for Kids, with a “Santa Box” that included a $5,000 donation. The goodies came through a donation by the Boeing Company to the AWB’s Holiday Kids’ Tree Project, which raises money for families in rural communities, said Chamber Director Debbie Doran-Martinez.
Boeing specified that its contribution be used in the Columbia Basin because of its close ties to the Moses Lake community, she added.
Miner started Firefighters for Kids in 2015 in Spokane, and brought it to Moses Lake when he was hired here in 2017, he said. The group collects donations from the local community as well, both online and through a donation box set up at the fire station.
Miner said local schools are helping find families who can use a little help.
“I have several counselors within the schools here in Moses Lake, and they're giving me a list of five kids (per school) right now,” Miner said. “I'm going to call them and then start adding kids to our list that we can help out for Christmas, and then I'll also contact schools that I haven't contacted throughout Grant County as well.”
The help Firefighters for Kids gives goes beyond individual children, he explained.
“Let's say you're a counselor, right?” Miner said. “And then you give me five kids that are from your school? Well, we help that whole family. So it's not just five kids; we're looking at 20, 30 kids, and then we're going to add more.”
Each family will get three to five gifts per child, Miner said, as well as brand-new clothes, food, diapers and other necessities.
Firefighters for Kids still operates in Spokane as well as the Tri-Cities and other places.
“We helped just under 600 kids last year, several hundred of them in Grant County,” Miner said.
Donations can be dropped off at Moses Lake Fire Station 1 at 701 E. Third Ave. or online at www.ffs4kids.org.
Joel Martin may be reached via email at jmartin@columbiabasinherald.com.