The money raised helps Love Santa, Inc., fill 450 food boxes for families in need. Each food box contains about $100 worth of essential food items: peanut butter, canned soup, meat, fruits and vegetables, pasta, potatoes and eggs.
In a year that has seen normal activity necessarily curtailed to minimize the effects of a global pandemic, firefighters welcomed this opportunity not only to contribute, but to interact safely with the community.
“The fundraising drive went better than expected; everything went according to plan or even better,” Woodburn Fire District volunteer James Audritsch said. “Our firefighters had so much fun interacting with the community from a safe distance that it is difficult to put into words. We had some of our equipment out on display, so when a donation was made, we could talk about the equipment and not just about collecting money.”
“This was a great opportunity for some of our newest members and our younger students to talk up the fire department. They are used to only seeing the community from an emergency standpoint. This time, they were able to introduce them elves, talk about what they enjoy and what training they had received as a member of the department,” Audritsch said.
Beyond donations, the event featured a number of photo ops for youngsters around the fire equipment.
Audtritsh said there were around 40 participants, ranging from firefighters to CERT members at the various collection locations.
“The weather played a huge roll in our success; it was a clear and beautiful day to be out in the community,” Audritsch said.
WFD spokeswoman Korrin Petersen said that 2020 has been a challenging year for many people.
“Activities that many of us look forward to every year have been placed on hold or canceled altogether. This year the annual firefighter food drive was no different,” Petersen noted in a press release. “This did not deter the local fire districts from finding a way to help community members that are in need this holiday season.”
Petersen stressed that donations can be made by mailing checks to Love Santa Inc. P.O. Box 875, Woodburn, OR 97071, or online at www.lovesantainc.org/donation.
Drive-through distribution centers are in the plans so families can receive food boxes on Saturday, Dec. 12.
“This is the 16th year that fire districts have partnered with Love Santa,” Woodburn Fire Chief Joe Budge said. “We appreciate the opportunity to support this organization and help families in need throughout our communities.”
