About Fire Buddies
Our Story
In December 2016, a young child who was battling cancer fell ill with a high fever. A group of Oak Forest Firefighters answered the 911 call, transporting the child to the hospital for life saving treatment.
The experience touched our hearts. We wanted to do more to help kids struggling with cancer and other diseases. So, we reached out to some of the other firefighters at the Oak Forest Fire Department and created Project Fire Buddies.
Project Fire Buddies brings joy to kids struggling with serious illnesses. In our first year, we ran a Christmas toy drive, collecting presents from generous community members and purchasing some themselves, then delivering the gifts to the children’s homes. The first responders went big, showing up in shiny fire trucks, police cruisers, and ambulances with sirens blasting and lights shining. No matter what the kids were going through at the time—chemo therapy, radiation, or side effects from their medication and treatments—these visits brightened their day. The smiles were contagious.
The experience touched our hearts. We wanted to do more to help kids struggling with cancer and other diseases. So, we reached out to some of the other firefighters at the Oak Forest Fire Department and created Project Fire Buddies.
Project Fire Buddies brings joy to kids struggling with serious illnesses. In our first year, we ran a Christmas toy drive, collecting presents from generous community members and purchasing some themselves, then delivering the gifts to the children’s homes. The first responders went big, showing up in shiny fire trucks, police cruisers, and ambulances with sirens blasting and lights shining. No matter what the kids were going through at the time—chemo therapy, radiation, or side effects from their medication and treatments—these visits brightened their day. The smiles were contagious.
