The Valdosta Fire Department will kick off the annual “Give Burns the Boot” drive on Thursday, May 10, joining more than 100 other fire departments throughout the state of Georgia in raising money to benefit the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation.  This event, which relies on donations from citizens, will run through the weekend ending on Saturday, May 12.

Valdosta Firefighters will be at the following Valdosta sites from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 10 and Friday, May 11, and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 12:

Wal-Mart Supercenter at 340 Norman Drive

Wal-Mart Supercenter at 3274 Perimeter Road

Piggly Wiggly at 2113 Bemiss Road

Winn Dixie at 3200 N. Ashley Street

The Valdosta Fire Department will also have a Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation trailer at the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Norman Drive for anyone who would like to donate aluminum cans during the Boot Drive.

The money raised through the Give Burns the Boot Drive and the recycled aluminum cans will help support Camp Oo-U-La, Georgia’s only camp held exclusively for burn-injured children.  The camp, paid for entirely by the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation, allows burn victims to enjoy one week of camp a year to have fun with other children who have experienced the same trauma.

By supporting the Boot Drive, the public will also be supporting their local fire department and community.  Money raised will remain in Valdosta for local education and prevention efforts, as well as serve communities across the State where there are needs.  Also, 10 percent of all the funds collected will remain in Valdosta for Fire and Life Safety programs.

The Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation is a non-profit organization with a threefold mission:  to educate the public in burn awareness and prevention, to support medical facilities in the care of burns in Georgia, and to assist burn survivors in their recovery.

This year the Valdosta Fire Department and Albany Fire Department will compete against each other to raise the most money.  The competition will end Dec. 31, 2018.

For more information about the “Give Burns the Boot” drive or local fire safety education programs, contact the Valdosta Fire Department at 229-333-1836.