Hometown Heroes Blood Drive
Join Mississippi Blood Services for our “Hometown Heroes Blood Drive” Thursday and Friday, August 11 and 12, at Dogwood Festival in Flowood. We are honoring our Firefighters and Law Enforcement Officers who put their lives on the line each day. This drive will kick off our commemoration for the tenth anniversary of the attacks on the Twin Towers.
In conjunction with the drive, Mississippi Blood Services will donate one dollar to The Burn Center Lodge for each unit of blood collected August 11 through September 11. The Lodge houses families whose loved ones have suffered severe burn injuries and are receiving care at Crossgates/River Oaks Hospital in Brandon.
Show your support for our local heroes by becoming one, too. Donate blood at Mississippi Blood Services and be someone’s hometown hero.
Our 2011 Hearts for Heroes Winners Are
Rookie of the Year
Firefighter of the Year
Fire Chief of the Year
Our 2010 Hearts for Heroes Winners Are:
Rookie of the Year
Erik Baker – Jackson Fire Dept
Brian Bishop – Cleveland Fire Dept
Charles Weathersby – Pearl Fire Dept.
Firefighter of the Year
Ochel Davidson – Brandon Fire Dept.
Lt. Brad Johnston – Flowood Fire Dept.
John Rankin and Wesley Gregory – Magee Fire Dept.
Fire Chief of the Year
Henry Davis – Gluckstadt Volunteer Fire Dept
Tom Lariviere – Madison Fire Dept
Josh Swales – Reservoir Fire Dept
Fire Dept of the Year
Cleveland Volunteer Fire Department
Madison Fire Department
Southaven Fire Department
Gift Cards
We are collecting gift cards to local restaurants near the burn center. These gift cards will be given to the family members of the burn victims.
Firefighters Fundraisers
We need your help! We are so excited about the opening of Mississippi’s new burn center! Now we need to raise money to help build a facility where the family members of the burn victims will be able to stay at no cost. We plan to provide food and lodging for these family members.
Here are some ways that you can help!
- We are creating a “Firehouse Cookbook”. Who has the best Firehouse recipe? Please submit your favorite recipes to me at afontaine@mfmba.org to be featured in the Mississippi Firefighters Memorial Burn Association cookbook! Our judges will select “The Best” recipe in each category. This department will receive special recognition. We need all recipes by Friday, July 31st! It would be great if we could get all departments to participate. All proceeds from the cookbook will be used to help construct a lodge adjacent to the new MS burn center. Family members of burn victims will be able to stay at the lodge free of charge.
- We are asking each fire department to have some type of fundraiser in the months of July or August! The proceeds will go to build our new lodge! I will help any way that I can with any fundraisers that you have for the MFMBA!
- I realize that some of you enjoy helping the pediatric burn victims. Our association holds three events for the kids throughout the year. One event is called “Shop With the Doc”. We find sponsors for each child. It looks like this event will be held at the Pearl Walmart this year and possibly the first week in December. We are working on setting this date now. Dr. Mullins from the Joseph M. Still Burn Center always joins us for this event. The cost to sponsor a child is $150. Each child receives a $150 gift card; and they can buy anything they would like. The sponsors usually enjoy going shopping with the kids. Please let me know if you would be interested in sponsoring a child. We had about twenty kids last year and should have even more this year!