TUSTIN : Firefighters Donate to Burn Foundation

Firefighters from more than 20 local stations gathered Wednesday at the Tustin Marine Corps Air Station to present checks to the Alisa Ann Ruch California Burn Foundation.

The station’s crash, fire and rescue team hosted the event, presenting the foundation with a check for almost $2,000. Other departments also presented checks.

Some of the money was raised in June during a firefighters’ muster, in which local departments competed in relays. The rest was collected through fund-raisers such as pancake breakfasts, spaghetti dinners and other activities, according to Rick Bowers, a member of the California Firefighters Burn Relay team and a Big Bear firefighter.

Wednesday’s ceremony marked one of many stops on the annual fund-raising tour for the Burn Relay team. The Burn Relay began in 1986 in Monrovia. Los Angeles weatherman George Fischbeck served as grand marshal for a parade, and eight cities participated, donating $14,000 to the foundation.

Since then, the relay has expanded, more cities have joined and more money has been raised. More than $350,000 was raised last year and even more is anticipated this year with 450 fire and police department stations participating. The funds raised during the Burn Relay, from Aug. 18 to Aug. 23 this year, are used for burn prevention and to aid burn victims and their families.

Fischbeck was on hand in Tustin on Wednesday, along with local firefighters and members of the California Firefighters Burn Relay Team.

Also on hand to watch more than a dozen shiny fire engines parade by were 13 children from the Tustin base child-care center.

“It was pretty cool,” said Aaron Smith, 6. “There were a lot of them.”

Also included in the ceremony Wednesday was a presentation from Tustin-based Chemers Gallery to the base of a shadow box containing Marine Corps memorabilia dating from the Vietnam War through Operation Desert Storm.