Shropshire firefighters armed with buckets and sponges are taking part in the national Fire Fighters charity car wash at fire stations across the county every Saturday in March.
They are hoping to raise hundreds of pounds for the charity which gives respite, recuperation and rehabilitation to sick or injured firefighters and their families.
Instead of a car wash, Shrewsbury firefighters are staging a “step challenge” on Saturday, March 4 wearing full fire kit and breathing apparatus in the Darwin Centre, Shrewsbury. Each firefighter will do 120 steps – equal to the number of floors in the fateful Twin Towers destroyed in a terrorist attack in which many firefighters died.
A total of nine county fire stations are offering the car cleaning service in return for a charity donation.
“All sized vehicles are welcome to come and be cleaned by their local firefighters,” said Fire Fighter Charity Co-ordinator Ashley Brown, from Bridgnorth fire station.
“Each March around £2,500 is raised from washing vehicles. This vital funding helps provide help and assistance to both serving and retired firefighters, Control Room and Support Staff as well as their dependants. Without this funding the charity would not exist.
“We are hoping that once again, the local communities will support their firefighters and give generously. All we ask for is a donation into the buckets, so please give what you can.”
Fire crews are taking part from fire stations in Newport and Whitchurch on March 4; Church Stretton and Wellington on March 18 with Wellington firefighters holding their event at the Red Lion pub on the A5. Albrighton, Bridgnorth and Tweedale events will be held on March 25. Fire stations at Tweedale in Telford, Ludlow and Clun stations are also holding their car washes in March and will announce their dates soon.
The car wash event takes place in March and September each year and raises nationally over £100,000 for injured firefighters and their families.
The charity, which is entirely self funding from donations and fundraisers, needs more than £8 million annually to secure services at three national centres around the country.
