STATE OF THE FOUNDATION ADDRESS –
MARCO ISLAND FIRE RESCUE FOUNDATION
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It is ironic that we come together once again where it all began 11 years ago, when the Island Club hosted our first event honoring the men and women of the fire and rescue services here on our island.
The Marco Island Fire/Rescue Foundation continues to grow and meet the challenges that come before us as we stand shoulder to shoulder with those that have taken the oath to serve our community with honor, dignity and courage each day.
The Foundation continues to dedicate itself to providing financial relief for firefighters and their families as their needs become evident. We have also established a scholarship fund to assist those families in furthering their education.
Those efforts are made possible through the many generous contributions from individuals, businesses and memorial gifts to assist our Fire/Rescue Family.
In addition to those generous donations, the Foundation also works hard to further our philanthropic mission by sponsoring a number of fundraisers within the community. Those fun events include our bi-annual pancake breakfast events, the Stan’s 50/50 Raffle Day, the Annual Jerry Adams Chili Cook Off and the Scholarship Cruise Raffle each year.
The Foundation has also been blessed in receiving a substantial monetary grant from the Island Club’s Charitable Foundation, for which we are extremely grateful.
Since the establishment of the first organized fire company in Philadelphia under Benjamin Franklin in 1736 the challenges facing the men and women of the fire/rescue services have never been greater. The role of those professionals within the fire service continue to grow and the challenges become more complicated with the passing of each year.
Our continued commitment to providing programs such as the CPR courses for individuals, groups and businesses is an ongoing effort within the community in conjunction the Marco Island Fire/Rescue Department.
Our new Emergency First Aid for Pets Program is another educational outreach effort within the community. This program for our wonderful four legged friends has become an important program for so many within our community and is another great educational effort undertaken between the Foundation and the department.
Educating the community concerning the ongoing discussions as to how best serve our residents regarding the emergency medical services and transport issues is another topic which the Foundation is involved in. We do this as we seek to provide our residents with a balanced presentation of facts and options for their consideration.
The stress on the families of firefighters have also grown over the years. That was never more in evidence then when the personnel of the Marco Island Fire/Rescue Department were called on to face the challenge presented when Hurricane Irma made landfall on our small island paradise on September 10th of this last year.
Those brave professionals were called upon to separate themselves from their families to carry out the duties to protect the lives of those that elected to stay on the island and the homes and commercial properties of our residents. When the Category 3/4 Hurricane made landfall it did so with sustained winds of 130mph. That storm would do substantial damage to infrastructure, buildings and vegetation across the island.
In recognition of the strain placed financially on families of those professionals, the Foundation elected to make a $1000 grant to each employee to help deal with the economic impact on those personnel to help deal with relocation of family members out of danger, along with damage expenses related to Hurricane Irma.
Because of the wonderful support the Foundation has received from you, the community, we were able to meet those challenges, in addition to providing two scholarships for worthy recipients during 2017 to further their education.
Today the strength of our Foundation is extremely strong due to your continued support of the mission that you, as our community have tasked us with. We are proud to carry out that mission which you have so wisely seen fit to create and have so generously stepped forward to support.
We look forward to continue to hear from you with your suggestions and having you step forward to provide us with your time and talent at Foundation events as we work to assist those brave and dedicated First Responders that serve us and your families on a daily basis. ies in time of injury and illness. The Foundation is also dedicated to supporting fire prevention practices, promoting fire safety and improving citizen awareness of the activities of the Marco Island Fire Rescue Department