Crime & Safety
Wenham Firefighters Fill the Boot for Jerry's Kids
Chief Bob Blanchard and Wenham firefighters were out on Route 1A in front of the firehouse Sunday collecting donations for muscular dystrophy.
Cars stopped along Main Street to Fill the Boot on Sunday morning, Sept. 5 as the Wenham Fire Department held its annual fundraising drive for Jerry's Kids.
The firefighters volunteered their time standing in bright yellow vests in the middle of Route 1A, stopping many cars whose drivers made donations.
Wenham Fire Chief Bob Blanchard said things like the Jerry's Kids Fill-the-Boot campaign are examples of how the Fire Department gives back to the community.
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But as a small department with only 30 firefighters, mostly part-time, the department also needs help from its community to fund special equipment, such as a $1,600 metal cutter for the jaws of life, which was funded by matching grants and donations.
Last weekend, the Fire Department held its annual cookout and is running a fundraiser raffle, Blanchard said. Volunteer time by firefighters has also helped to renovate the 50-year-old firehouse, which used to be a shared building with the Wenham Police Department.
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"The guys, it's all volunteer time," Blanchard said on Sunday. "We raise our own funds."
