East Fork Professional Firefighters Association donates new coats to Carson Valley Boys & Girls Club

GARDNERVILLE — With high winds rolling in Saturday and a snow storm all but inevitable on Sunday, East Fork Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 3726 donated 10 brand new, American made coats to kids at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada Carson Valley Clubhouse this week, through the Operation Warm Coats for Kids Foundation.

Brian Trute, charity and donation chairman for the EFPF, said the fire fighters association donated more than 200 coats to Douglas County School District elementary students in December, raising well over $3,400 from association members to purchase the coats.

“We got lucky,” Trute said. “Operation Warm sent us some extra coats and we are genuinely happy to distribute them to the Boys & Girls Club.”

Elementary students were selected by school district officials, leaving some Clubs members in limbo between district selection criteria and student need.

Taylor Lambert, unit director for Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada Carson Valley Clubhouse, said the call from EFPF was a welcome surprise.

“We are extremely grateful to have the fire fighters association reach out to our members of the Boys & Girls Club and offer new jackets to our children in need this winter. It’s been a tough one and it looks like it’s not over yet. These coats are an awesome gift to our kids.”

Operation Warm and the East Fork Professional Firefighters collect funds year-round. Tax deductible donations are being accepted now for the 2017 coat fundraiser. For more information, contact Sky Dwinell at 775-790-3492.

Association members spent some time showing Clubs kids around the fire engine and ambulance, and Clubs members presented a hand-made thank you card.

As one young Clubs member exclaimed in excitement seeing the fire engine, Trute smiled.

“It never gets old,” he said. “We feel the same way every day.”