The Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society is hard at work to make our community a better place, and we need your help. We can make a difference.

The Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society represents Burnaby Firefighters in our mission to raise money for community groups and non-profit organizations. Our Society has no paid employees – members of Burnaby Firefighters Local 323 volunteer their time to administer the business of the Society.

Our ongoing dedication to help our community is reflected in the kind of work we do: firefighters are prepared to put our lives on the line to protect the community. We know that protecting a community is about more than handling emergencies – it’s about helping people in our community every day – people who have to deal with health problems, disabilities, poverty, abuse, hunger and so many other issues. We know we can make a difference.

Who we support
The Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society raises funds to provide sizeable annual donations to more than 60 charitable and community organizations. Our focus is to support Burnaby-based charities, and we are fortunate to have also been able to extend our support to other needy organizations in the Lower Mainland, when the call comes in.

Some of the organizations we proudly support are:

• Burnaby Hospital Foundation
• Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (2011 Corporate Kids Challenge to raise funds for Kidsport BC
• St. Michael’s Hospice
• The Food Bank
• BC Special Olympics
• Burnaby Family Life
• British Columbia Professional Fire Fighters Association Burn Fund
• Dry Grad ceremonies at all Burnaby Secondary Schools
• Burnaby Seniors Outreach Society
• South Burnaby Neighbourhood House
• Variety Club
• Burnaby Christmas and Camping Bureau
• Pacific Assistance Dogs Society

Programs We Deliver in Our Community

Nutritional Snack Program

In September 2005, the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society initiated a nutritional snack program at two of Burnaby’s elementary schools and a community centre. The program has expanded to include a total of 25 schools in burnaby. Schools having a high proportion of students from low income families where nutrition is a major concern are provided nutritious snacks on a regular basis that are purchased and dlivered by Burnaby firefighters. The teachers have reported great results from this simple program: children are more focused and learning in the classroom has improved. We hope to continue expand this program to other schools that are identified as having similar challenges.

Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation

For many years, the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society has supported and provided Cardio-Pulmonary Training with Burnaby Firefighters teaching students in Burnaby's High Schools this important and critical life-saving skill.

CPR is a proven hands-on technique that can double a person's chance of survival from cardiac arrest. If CPR is started within four minutes of collapse and defibrillation is provided within 10 minutes, a person has a 40% chance of survival.

With over 20 years teaching in the Burnaby School District, plus real life on-the-job experiences in emergency situations, the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society can also provide customized, professional CPR and First Aid Training for community organizations and businesses.

Funding

The Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society is primarily funded through the efforts of the members of IAFF Local 323, the Burnaby Firefighters, in addition to the considerable amount of personal time they spend volunteering at community events.

Each year, in the spring, we hold our Annual Charitable Ball, a very popular fundraising event supported by our community for more than 20 years, and in the late summer, we hold our Annual Golf Tournament to help raise funds to support our Charitable Society.

In order to maintain our commitment to the charities we support, we have established the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Endowment Fund. We hope to raise $2,000,000 for the endowment fund (this generates its own revenue which can then be used for donations without touching the principal amount). We have already raised nearly $670,000 and will continue to work towards achieving our goal.

Donations to our charitable efforts may be made by mailing a cheque or money order to:

Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society
#205 - 6515 Bonsor Avenue
Burnaby, BC V3B 7G2
Phone 604-434-1717

Your donation goes directly to the community groups and non-profit organizations that we support. Please specify whether you want your donation directed to our Endowment Fund or to a specific charitable group.

For further information about what you can do to help the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society, please contact Jeff Clark directly at 604-812-8699 or by email at bfd239@yahoo.com.