Firefighters raise funds for Missouri Children's Burn Camp

A summer camp that welcomes youths who have suffered a severe burn injury is the focus of Saturday's "Fill the Helmet" fundraiser being sponsored by the Cape Girardeau County Firefighters Association.

Firefighters from 10 departments will be stationed at four locations in the county to accept donations and offer literature explaining what the Missouri Children's Burn Camp is all about.

Firefighters will be at Elias Ace Hardware in Cape Girardeau and Buchheit of Jackson from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. At Buchheit, firefighters will serve hot dogs and refreshments to all who stop to donate. Fruitland crews will be stationed at the intersection of Highway 177 and U.S. 61 from 6 to 9 a.m., and Millersville firefighters will be set up at the intersection of Highway 34 and Highway 72 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"In the past, a lot of the departments have just sent money, but we decided this time to do something a little different," said Dwayne Kirchhoff, vice president of the Cape Girardeau County Firefighters Assocation and chief of the East County Fire Protection District.

By having four donation points, "we're trying to spread out and hit a lot of different locations," Kirchhoff said.

The children's burn camp is open to youths ages 6 through 17 and is held at Camp Sabra on Lake of the Ozarks. In its first year, the camp welcomed 17 children and has grown to more than 75 campers, according to the camp's website.

The burn camp offers children a supportive environment with a variety of outdoor activities. The injured child can focus on making new friends and realizing they're not the only ones with a burn injury.

"This gives kids a chance to not be different, and it helps them to adjust to what has happened and learn to get past that," Kirchhoff said. "Some of the kids end up being counselors and they forget all about their burns."

To learn more about the burn camp and how to donate, visit www.brsg.org.

ehevern@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent Address:

2801 Old Orchard Road, Jackson, MO

1719 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau, MO

Highway 177 and Highway 61, Fruitland, MO

Highway 34 and Highway 72, Millersville, MO