a newsletter for the members of the Alliance for Fire Safety,

part of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin Charitable Foundation

Winter 2016

The Alliance for Fire Safety

Summer Burn Camp photos and coverage: 5-8

This has been quite the year. When the Profes-sional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin Charitable Foundation (PFFWCF) took on the responsibility of running the fire safety and burn survivor sup-port programs that began under the Wisconsin Alliance for Fire Safety (WAFS), we knew that there were going to be mixed emotions. We have been pleased to find that after over 20 years of diverse support for the WAFS programming, we have been able to maintain that support and even make moves to expand it. Having made it to the end of our first calendar year of Alliance for Fire Safety operation under the PFFWCF, there have undeniably been challenges in this transi-tion along the way. However, with a hybrid team of former WAFS board members, the PFFW executive board, and a few fresh faces, we have welcomed these challenges and have been able to overcome them.

When this all began in January 2015, we made a promise to our supporters, program participants, and their families, that we were going to carry on our programs as the WAFS had for over two decades. When plans were being made for this transition, we also decided to keep the WAFS programs under the title of the Alliance for Fire Safety, to help show that everyone that helped along the way in making WAFS what it is, is still welcome to be a part of what the PFFWCF is today. We faced a lot of work in the preliminary months of our transition but that work was placed in some very eager and capable hands. Charitable Foundation Liaison Mike DeGarmo, Co-Executive Directors Bill Klar and Terre Kent, and Program Director Jenna Jordan have worked closely with the Charitable Foundation board of directors and volunteer committees all year. This team has gone above and beyond in carrying out our safety and support missions.

Since January, we have hosted the Winter Leadership Program for young adults ages 17-25,

sponsored participants to attend the Wise Foundation Young Adult Burn Survi-vor Conference, and had Lon Haldeman lead our Cross-Wisconsin Bike Tour Challenge Program ending at the Burn Camp Family Picnic. We also ran our flagship program, the Summer Camp for Burn Injured Youth, launched the 2015 Fire Safety Edition of Newspapers in Education with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, hosted the Fall Fire Safety Recognition Luncheon honoring those that have helped us to carry out our fire safety mission, and sent 19 participants to The Phoenix Society’s World Burn Congress in Indianapolis.

I found the height of my pride in our founda-tion this past year in seeing the annual parade of fire apparatus at the 2015 Visitor’s Day event at the Burn Camp. The kids and most of the guests only see a long line of fire trucks that they get to ride in, but I see a portrait of unity as career and volunteer firefighters work together to create a memorable experience for these young survivors; it serves as a reminder that we all share a com-mon goal each day.

Lastly, I must offer my sincerest thanks to the fine people that are helping us to keep the prom-ise that we made a year ago and I am not just talking about our employees or board members. I am referring to the loyal supporters that trusted us to pick up where the WAFS left off. We cannot do this alone, and we greatly appreciate your as-sistance and your support, whether it be mon-etary or in the form of volunteer work. Looking back on all of these accomplishments from 2015, I am eager to see what our team will achieve in 2016.

Mahlon MitchellPFFWCF Chairman

PFFWCF Chairman’s Year in Review

Mahlon Mitchell, PFFWCF Chairman

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I can hardly believe it has been a full year since the PFFW Charitable Foundation took on the Wisconsin Alliance for Fire Safety’s fire prevention and burn survivor support programs. If you had asked me at this time last year, I could never have predicted the outpouring of support we have experienced for the work that we have done. However, there were a couple of people that exhibited unwavering confidence in the plan: current PFFWCF Chairman Mahlon Mitchell and former WAFS Chairman Dan Gengler were our leaders in carrying this out. By the end of numerous discussions, the decision was made with the promise that the new Alliance for Fire Safety under the PFFWCF would emulate all of the values of the predecessor it was built on.

Since then, we have all worked hard to maintain the high standards of the AFS programs, and we have been thrilled to see them all successfully carried out. As a team, we all came together under this new organization with different strengths, and it has been a pleasure to discover how well these strengths complement each other. PFFWCF Chair-man Mahlon Mitchell continually seems to have his fingers on the pulse of charitable foundation affairs, no mat-ter where he is, and he is always willing to go the extra mile to make sure that we have what we need to function exceptionally. Co-Executive Directors Terre Kent and Bill Klar have a real drive to make sure that our programs not only have enough funding throughout the year, but that we always seek to expand our resources and try new things – like the Black Tie Gala we held in October! It has been a wonderful experience to fall back on the expertise of all three of them as we all find our way with these new responsibilities.

The highlight of my year was seeing our flagship program, The Summer Camp for Burn In-jured Youth, take form as I took a leading role in planning it for the first time. It was no small task, but I cannot thank our dedicated group of volunteers, especially on our Steering Com-mittee, for offering their help every step along the way. As this was the first year the PFFWCF ran the program, we were pleased to hear from campers, their parents, volunteers, and other visitors that the transition from WAFS to PFFWCF was virtually unnoticeable. “Camp still felt like camp,” said Madison firefighter and Burn Camp Co-Director, Jon Braun, “and there’s no reason to suggest that it won’t keep feeling like the special place that it is for years to come.” In fact, we hope to continue to improve this program and our others.

Looking ahead, 2016 looks like it’s going to be another great year for us and we only hope to be able to do more! Thank you to everyone that has contributed to our programs and to our growth as an organization!

Jenna Jordan, Program Director, PFFWCF Alliance for Fire Safety

Program Director’s Report

Jenna JordanProgram Director

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We hosted our fourth annual Cross-Wisconsin Bike Tour this past June 22-27. Burn survivors ages 14 and up were invited to participate in this nearly 200 mile bike ride led by Lon Haldeman and his professional crew. Haldeman is a world-renowned cyclist and puts a great deal of work into putting on this event for our survivors each year. He also contributes a great deal to the ride: he takes on a portion of the cost for the ride, as well as seeks support from others that follow his newsletter, donates supplies, and perhaps most valuably, he and his crew donate their time to the program.

This time around, we had a mix of new and returning riders. The ride began in La Crosse and wound through Sparta, Mauston, Baraboo, and Lodi, before ending at the Burn Camp Family Picnic held at Marshall Park in Middleton on Saturday, June 27. In addition to the physical and mental challenge of the ride, our participants got to experience historic bike trails and visit the Circus World Museum and the International Crane Foundation.

Cross-WI Bike Tour and Burn Camp Family Picnic

Perhaps the most memorable part of this ride is the survivor bonding experience that is facilitated by the trip. The group has to be kept small and selective so that everyone is able to safely complete the ride. They get an opportunity to get to know each other and the crew facilitating the ride on a very personal level. They chal-lenge each other and grow together, becoming supportive friends throughout the week.

Our riders enjoyed the opportunity to share their sense of accomplishment (and medals!) with family mem-bers, peers, and counselors upon finishing the difficult ride at the Burn Camp Family Picnic. It was really wonderful to see their exhausted but smiling faces as they reached their final stop, greeted by about 100 people that all wanted to hear about their trip! What better way to end such a challenging program than to be greeted by people that support your journey on the bike and in life? Additionally, other Burn Camp camp-ers, alumni, and staff, along with their families, are able to gather for a nice reunion to catch up before camp starts again in August.

The PFFWCF owes a great deal of gratitude for the success of the picnic. The cost of the picnic’s site was covered by the per-sonal donation of a friend to the founda-tion that has asked to remain anonymous. All of the food was donated and prepared by Madison Local 311 Firefighters and their friends, and a giant cake was donated by Hubbard Avenue Diner in Middleton. Decorations and supplies were offered to us at a discounted rate by Party City of Middleton. Lastly, Burn Camp staff and steering committee members helped to plan and set up the event. Thank you all!

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Summer Burn Camp by Jenna JordanYouth campers had “magical” activities prepared for them by volunteers from Children’s Hospital of Wis-consin as well as Columbia-St. Mary’s Hospital. For-mer camper and burn survivor, Jessica Graf, donated her time and materials for a ceramics activity and the ever-popular “Bubble Dude” made a return for a presentation. Teens enjoyed mountain biking, a high ropes course, paint balling, water games, and a rock climbing trip to Devil’s Lake. Our teens also received a presentation by fellow burn survivor Jared Estes of Andover, Kansas. He shared the powerful story of his injuries and how he was able to triumph to feel more like a survivor of his circumstances rather than a vic-tim. Despite all of the tragedy and loss that accompa-nied his accident, Jared was able to find his purpose in the people around him and now gives back to the burn community whenever possible.

Most meals were once again provided by volunteer and career fire departments across the state, many of whom joined us for activities throughout the week. Campers and staff wish to thank fire fighters and vol-unteers from Wauwatosa, West Allis, Sable Flames and Madison Local 311 Charities, Tess Corners, Oshkosh, Baraboo, North Prairie Auxiliary, Oak Creek, East Troy, and Robb Bosanko and the PFFW for donating and cooking meals. Oshkosh Firefighter and PFFWCF board member Mike Wos told us, “We came out to serve a meal to the campers this year and had so much fun we didn’t want to leave. The generosity of everyone involved is always overwhelming and leaves us wanting to do more.”

The last full day of camp is always an exciting one with the dinner and dance party at East Troy Fire Depart-ment to look forward to. This year, cosmetology stu-dent volunteers from Waukesha County Technical College shared their hair, makeup, and manicure skills with our campers to prepare them for the celebration! After the festivities – despite a little bit of a storm – we had our usual Bartolotta fireworks and closing cer-emony to celebrate our graduating campers and staff milestones. Bittersweet tears were shed for the close of another great year. We had several campers that aged out of the Burn Camp Program, but we can’t wait to see them all at our young adult-oriented Winter Leader-ship Program this February!

This year’s Summer Camp for Burn Injured Youth, themed “Where the Magic Happens,” took place Au-gust 9-15. We welcomed four new campers, as well as a three-year-old “Burn Camp Explorer” to our camp family, or should I say FR-AMILY? One of our camp-ers came up with a new term for the group of campers and volunteers at Burn Camp; youth camper, Emma, told staff that the relationships built at camp were true friendships that felt more like family so we needed our own word for this little community. “Framily was a term that just happened to stick throughout the week; it just seemed to fit,” said teen girl coordinator, Melissa Kersten.

The week actually began on Saturday, August 8, with the staff training and orientation. We added a number of changes in order to better prepare our volunteers to handle difficult campers and learn how to address burn survivor specific issues. Lots of general informa-tion was offered by camp co-directors, Jon Braun and Courtney Carlson. We also welcomed staff from Camp Timber-Lee to help show our volunteers some games to share with campers to fill downtime. PFFW board member Luke Kotschi gave a social media talk from the perspective of a mandatory reporter. Camp nurses spoke on the importance of hydration and skin pro-tection for campers throughout the week. Lastly, our child-life specialist, Elaina Meier, offered a presenta-tion on working with children that have suffered differ-ent kinds of trauma. With our volunteer staff properly trained and comfortable, we were ready for the kids to arrive!

Upon the campers’ arrival, our staff checked them all in and got them comfortable in their cabins – their homes for the week! Campers enjoyed a wonderful mix of new and traditional activities for a truly fun-filled week. Some of our all-camp activities included a “color run” obstacle course organized by volunteers from AS-CENT gym in Milwaukee, a firefighter challenge run by Greenfield Fire Department, and a “Soccer-Knocker” human soccer ball game – which looked like so much fun our very own PFFW President Mahlon Mitch-ell and Secretary/Treasurer Steve Wilding joined the campers during a visit! We had our Harley riders come out again, but this year we were able to greet them with a delicious corn roast provided by Charitable Founda-tion co-executive directors Bill Klar and Terre Kent.

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“Where the magic happens” – that is how we describe Burn Camp. Watching one of our teen boys pass their swim test for the first time, the young camper who is terrified of heights but steps off the zip line platform with tears of joy, fear, and accomplishment streaming down her face, the bonds that are formed by veteran campers who have been attending camp for nearly a decade, and first year camp-ers who are just learning to live with their burn injuries. That is the magic. It transforms you; it fills you with gratitude, happiness and hope. It is a magic that we experience as a Burn Camp family – or framily, as some of our campers call it! If you have ever been to Burn Camp, you have definitely experienced “the magic.”

This year’s camp had many activities, including a trip to Devil’s Lake for the older teen group, where they learned to rock climb and belay each other using commu-nication and teamwork. The campers loved the activity “Soccer Knocker” where they wore large inflatable bubbles and ran around bouncing off of one another – a real hit! This year also marked the first year of our annual fishing tournament sponsored by Cabela’s, with the largest fish being an 18” Northern Pike. To end the week, some campers had their hair, nails and makeup done by WCTC cosme-tology students for our Friday evening dance at the East Troy Firehouse.

Where the Magic Happens by Courtney Carlson

We were blessed to have Jared Estes join us for part of the week to provide a teen motivational talk and to en-courage them to “fire back” when life seems to get tough. He shared strategies on how to live as a survivor instead of a victim, and there is nothing about our young campers that would make you think of them as victims. They are surviving, and they remind the rest of us to live as survivors as well. They keep our priorities in check, remind us to live life to the fullest, and to have a gracious attitude.

This is the magic that has brought me back year after year. I started with the camp in 2002 and have served in any role that was asked of me because it was all about the kids. Any way that I could be a part of that magic, I was all in. After 14 years of volunteering for the camp, and 5 years in a director’s position, it is time to pass the torch and bring in some new ideas. Jon Braun, a Madison Firefighter, did an amazing job as co-director for this year’s camp, and I know the camp, kids, and staff will be in great hands under his leadership. He will be joined by Me-lissa Kersten, a Nurse Practitioner in the St. Mary’s Burn Unit and a longtime volunteer for the Burn Camp. I still plan to be a part of camp, but in a different capacity.

In our 2015 Burn Camp debrief, our steering committee reminisced about all of our great memories from this year, but the work never ceases. We have some big goals for 2016, and we need your help. Over the years, we have seen a decline in our camper numbers. While we would like to think it is because children are not suffering burn injuries, we know that is not the case. We are having a hard time reaching those children that do suffer injuries because of HIPAA, treatment at out-patient clinics, and a variety of other factors. We need your help to get the word out about Burn Camp – this place where magic happens. Help us spread the word by directing young burn survivors and their families to our website at www.pffwcf.org or our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AFSBurnCamp. We have set a stretch goal of 20 new campers for 2016. We also are introducing a Young Adult Leadership Program during the week of Burn Camp as an opportunity for 18-20 year old burn survivors to grow and develop into successful young adults, to face the challenges of college, career and life, and to assist previ-ous campers in their transition to a potential role as future camp staff. Stay tuned for more information on these exciting initiatives!

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IAFF International Burn Camp Once again, we sent one of our Burn Camp campers along with a counselor to the In-ternational Association of Fire Fighters Burn Camp in Washington, D.C. The free special camp experience is offered to 13-15-year-old Burn Camp campers from around the United States and Canada. Our camp staff votes on the eligible teens at the end of each Wisconsin Burn Camp, and we could not have been more excited by their choice for 2015. Last September, we were pleased to send a 14-year-old camper named Jerrion. It was impossible for camp staff and even visitors to overlook the physical and emotional growth that Jerrion has displayed throughout his years of camp. Along with him, we sent West Allis career firefighter and Burn Camp Youth Boy Coordinator Jesse Schwark. Jesse has been a valuable asset to the camp since his first year as staff in 2007. These two young men shared their thoughts.

This was a once in a lifetime experience, one that has created lasting memories that I will never forget. The camp runs from Sat.-Sat. in Sept. in a similar format to our camp. I would soon find that though similari-ties existed, this would be an entirely unique event. We were greeted by IAFF Burn Camp staff members at the BWI airport and began congregating with campers and staff from camps across the continent. Many of us met at the BWI Fire Dept. for a quick lunch as we awaited the arrival of the remaining campers. Despite coming from locations hundreds, if not thousands of miles apart, everyone quickly fell into conversations, sharing experiences and laughing like old friends. Within a day, it felt as though we had all been attending the same camp for years. After lunch, we loaded onto buses and began the journey to Camp Wabanna, our home for the next week. We gathered what we needed for the week and went to our dorm rooms to settle in. We spent the evening playing “icebreaker” activities before bed.

Our first full day of camp began with breakfast in the dining hall. After breakfast and further orientation, we all piled back onto the bus and headed to down-town D.C. for a baseball game at Nationals Park. A lazy afternoon spent at the ballgame was a perfect way to continue conversations and get to know ev-eryone while enjoying America’s pastime. The remainder of the week was a blur of events, each

IAFF Burn Camp Staff ExperienceBy: Jesse Schwark

IAFF Burn Camp Camper ExperienceBy: Jerrion Washington

The trip was a lot of fun. It was my first time flying, so I was a little nervous, but mostly excited. I never thought I would get a chance to see all of the places I did. I had a great time with Jesse, and the IAFF staff was cool. The FOOD we ate was awesome! I really liked all of the soldier stuff, like the monuments and the cem-etery. Another really cool thing was the Martin Luther King, Jr. statue. The best thing was standing in front of the White House. I’d like to visit again someday.

more impressive then the last. We toured the monu-ments at the National Mall, including a ride to the top of the Washington Monument, which recently reopened, played exciting camp games in the evenings, ate at fun restaurants, visited various Smithsonian museums, were served an outstanding barbecue lunch at a D.C. firehouse, and toured the U.S. Naval Academy in An-napolis. Perhaps one of the most humbling experiences of the entire trip was our time spent at Arlington Na-tional Cemetery. Our entire camp was able to witness the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a few campers were allowed to participate in a wreath laying ceremony alongside Sentinels of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment who guard the tomb. This was an incredibly moving event and an unbelievable honor for individuals involved in the ceremony. The orchestration performed by the IAFF camp staff was nothing shy of amazing. Within a day, they took 90 strangers from all corners of the continent, put us together, made everyone feel right at home, and then carted us all over the D.C. area to monuments, attrac-tions, and events, while responding to last-minute changes in the weather and unexpected problems with exceptional professionalism and consideration. It is impossible to truly capture the events that occurred over the week in a few short paragraphs. The experi-ence that the IAFF International Burn Camp offers its campers is truly once in a lifetime; it was an honor to be able to attend.

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For the first time ever, the PFFWCF held a Black Tie Gala in October to raise funds for our programs and other causes. Our theme was “Smoke on the Water,” which was appropriate for the setting; we hosted the event at the Sail Loft on the Kinnickinnic River in Milwaukee. Live music entertainment was provided by The Three Little Pigs featuring Gabriel Sanchez, and our MC for the evening was Emmy Award-winning news anchor, Vince Vitrano of Today’s TMJ4. Guests en-joyed delicious appetizers and an open bar while perusing silent auction items, chatting with foundation friends, and getting to know other supporters.

We must offer special gratitude to our Platinum Sponsors for the event – Hawks Quindel, The Geiger Foundation, and Suburban Motors Harley Davidson.

Co-Executive Directors, Terre Kent and Bill Klar, worked tirelessly with a team of volunteers to put the event together and have already begun plans to DOUBLE our attendance for this year! The theme for 2016’s event will be “Fire in the Sky,” and held on October 15. Keep up with event news on Facebook, and we hope to see you there!

“Smoke on the Water” Black Tie Gala

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Fall Fire Safety Recognition LuncheonEach year during Fire Prevention Week, following the release of our Fire Safety Edition of Newspapers in Education, we host a Fall Fire Safety Recognition Lun-cheon. This past year, we hosted the luncheon at the Oak Creek Community Center on Tuesday, October 6. The event is meant to recognize and honor individuals and organizations that have assisted their communi-ties in the promotion of fire safety. In 2015, we opened our award ceremony with Oak Creek’s Honor Guard and the National Anthem, sung by Marshall Gradinjan, a close friend to the Alliance for Fire Safety. One of the highlights of the program was guest speaker, Bobby Henline, a veteran of the war in Iraq and the lone survivor after his Humvee burst into flames having been hit by a roadside bomb in 2007. Bobby suffered burns over nearly 40% of his body, as well as PTSD. After spending two weeks in a coma, Bobby needed to undergo a number of recon-structive and cosmetic surgeries, including the am-putation of his left hand. His physical and emotional recovery are still an ongoing battle, but he uses his positivity and his incredible sense of humor to share his story and help others to see the good in the world. He came all the way from San Antonio, Texas, to share his trials and triumphs with our group.

Fire Safety Awardees included Jim Kismet and retired Racine Lieutenant Dennis Felton for PFFWCF Sup-port. Both gentlemen have a long history of support for the Burn Camp: Kismet offering the use of his gi-ant American flag on Visitor’s Day at Camp each year and Felton hosting an annual golf outing to support the program. The Oshkosh Fire Department was of-fered the Larry Ceret-to Fire Safety Award in recognition of their efforts to share their knowledge of fire safety with their community. Corporate Respon-sibility Awards were presented to the Favre 4 Hope Foundation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in recognition of the generous dona-

tions they offered to the PFFWCF this past year. 72nd District State Assembly Representative Scott Krug was determined our Legislator of the Year for author-ing and maintaining commitment to Assembly Bill 36, regulating the placement and sale of novelty lighters (lighters that resemble toys). The Joe Vorce Career Fire Safety Award was earned by retired Assistant West Allis Fire Chief Marty King after years of com-mitment and countless awards for various achieve-ments and service. Marty has an extensive commit-ment to the cause of fire safety not only in West Allis and the state of Wisconsin, but beyond.

We also honor Burn Camp volunteers for their mile-stones and exceptional service. This year’s Ten Year Milestone Award was offered to Joe Tre-week, a highly dedicated individual with a heart of gold. Camp Volunteers of the Year were Robbie Aschenbrener and Heather Moore, both of whom rose to meet critical challenges in their volunteer roles in 2015. Lastly, two very dedicated “retirees” were grant-ed Special Camp Recognition Awards, Camp Director Courtney Carlson and Burn Camp Steering Committee Member Mary Janowiak. Both ladies have offered over a decade of service to the Burn Camp and look forward to continued involvement with the organization in less formal roles whether as a camp counselor or a visitor!

The 2016 Fall Fire Safety Recognition Lun-cheon will take place on October 11, and we are excited to announce that we will no longer be charging admission to attend!

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Thank you so very much for your contributions funding my

recent trip to the 2015 World Burn Congress. Your gener-

osity has NOT gone unnoticed. Attending the 2015 World

Burn Congress has been the absolute highlight of my year.

I was burned in September of 2014; the fire caused deep,

second degree burns on thirty percent of my body. I lost

confidence in myself because of my scars, and I never felt

like I quite fit into society or could connect with people

anymore. I was very wrong. The difference this experience

made in my life is quite substantial. I never imagined such

an incredible community—or rather, family—of such open,

compassionate and accepting individuals. By the end of the

week, I had not only learned a lot about myself and how to

better accept my scars, but of new burn care techniques

and products that are currently benefitting me to this day.

Fire safety has become a big thing in my family, and I was

able to bring home a ton of new knowledge to share with

them. The variety of existing organizations to get involved

with through the burn community is almost shocking. In ad-

dition, I made numerous lifelong friendships and was able

to bond with so many burn survivors and those surround-

ing them. The bravery I witnessed that week has truly been

an inspiration. I feel so lucky to have had this experience.

Thanks to this experience, having been burned is no longer

a burden, but a bittersweet blessing. Even these words

cannot describe the depths of my gratitude; thank you for

changing my life.- Sam

World Burn Congress

This past October, we, along with Columbia-St. Mary’s Burn Center, were able to sponsor quite a group of burn survivors and supporters to attend the Phoenix Society’s World Burn Congress. This most recent conference was held in Indianapolis, Indiana, and, with the help of our gener-ous donors, we were able to send 19 attendees. It is nearly impossible to describe the impact that this event makes on the lives of those that attend, unless one is able to see it personally. That being said, we received several responses from our first-time attendees that wanted to try their hand at explaining the powerful emotions that went along with their attendance.

My experience at my first World Burn

Congress was one I will never

forget. I was burned about 3 years

ago and have attended Burn Camp

twice before turning 18. World Burn

Congress was even better than

camp! I was surrounded by almost

1,000 survivors!

While I was there, I attended

sessions that helped me heal as an

individual. I learned how to take my

attitude of being burned from being

a victim to being a survivor. I'll never

forget the feeling when I was

introduced to the first survivor I

bonded with in Indiana! Months later,

we still text every day!

- Hope

this organization generously provides. I am a more reserved and quiet individual, and I am so thankful that I

had a chance to sit in on these sessions. Additionally, I was amazed at how much WBC provided healing to family members, as well. I would highly recommend any burn injury survivor

and their family attend this event in the future.

I want to give a shout out to the hard work that Melissa Kersten and Jenna Jordan put into organizing this trip. I am very appreciative that they offered me the opportunity to attend, and I am already looking forward to next year!- Tony

I am a burn survivor and have been in-

volved with the Alliance for Fire Safety for

8 years. I have served in multiple roles at

the Summer Camp for Burn Injured Youth

over that time. This past summer, I was

presented with an opportunity to attend

the Phoenix Society’s World Burn Congress

(WBC). I quickly accepted. Fast forward to

October, and I was off to Indianapolis along

with a group of burn injury survivors from

Wisconsin.

A typical day at this event includes: a key-

note speaker, open mic (chance to tell your

story), breakout sessions addressing a

variety of topics, and small group

discussions. The keynote speakers all did an

awesome job, but the activities that I valued

the most were the breakout sessions and

the small group discussions. These sessions

allowed me to connect with fellow burn sur-

vivors. Heart-wrenching stories were told

and advice was given that made me

realize the amazing support network that

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In each upcoming edition of this newsletter, we will be featuring a burn survivor that has stood out in to us at some of our programming. They may have been honored somehow, accomplished a lofty goal, or been offered a spe-cial opportunity via the Burn Survivor Support programs the PFFWCF has to offer.

In this edition, our “survivor spotlight” is being turned on former camper Amanda Amon. In March of 2015, the PFFWCF sponsored Amanda, along with a group of other survivors and PFFWCF “Community Leaders,” to attend the Wise Foundation Young Adult Burn Survivor Confer-ence. Her participation in that program opened the doors to another opportunity. The Wise Foundation offered an application and essay contest for young adults to attend a conference in Canada with Dustin Wise (burn survivor and founder of The Wise Foundation). After a rigorous selection process, Amanda was chosen as a participant! One of the prerequisites to maintain her place in this trip was doing some of her own fundraising. She worked hard for months, putting together a “Go Fund Me” account and writing grant requests to pay for her trip. When the date of her trip was moved up by a month, the PFFWCF helped her acquire the last bit of money she needed. Here is what Amanda had to say about her experience:

Survivor Spotlight: Amanda Amon

October 15-18, 2015: I was able to travel to Winnipeg, Canada, through the Wise Foundation with Dustin Wise, Brit-tany Balke, Anthony Harrison and Jonathon Jenkins. Thursday, when we arrived, we spent the evening exploring Polo Park. Polo Park is a shopping center with restaurants and shops where we did a little souvenir shopping. On Friday, Brittany, Anthony, Jonathon and I had the opportunity to go sightseeing near downtown Winnipeg in a district called “The Forks.” The Forks consists of a market with local vendors and shops. There is also an outdoor terrace on the roof of the mar-ket where you can look over Winnipeg. After touring the market and eating lunch at a local hot spot, Fergie’s Fish ‘n Chips, we walked around downtown Winnipeg and took lots of touristy pic-tures. After sightseeing, we all headed back to the hotel for the Canadian Burn Survivor Confer-ence with Mamingwey Burn-Survivor Society. The opening day of the conference consisted of the keynote speaker, Dustin Wise, and some members of Mamingwey Burn-Survivor Society speaking about the meaning of Mamingwey and an activity to get to know other survivors attending the conference. The last day of our trip and the second day of the conference included more speak-ers from Mamingwey, a panel of survivors and family members of survivors, sharing circles, and an activity accompanied by a speech with Dustin Wise. At the end of the day, there was also a banquet for all the participants in the conference.

Traveling to Canada with the Wise Foundation was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I will never forget. Not only did I get to experience my first time traveling abroad, but I also got to build bet-ter relationships with other burn survivors. Getting to spend one-on-one time with other survi-vors meant the world to me, because it is a bond that no one can possibly understand unless you have endured getting burned. I also learned a lot about the different stages, phases, and ways people cope with their burns. Meeting people at different ages and times post burn incident really opened my eyes to how differently people are affected and react to their burns. I am so grate-ful I had this opportunity to learn more about other survivors, the burn community, myself, and make memories that will last a lifetime.

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Alliance for Fire Safety

There are a number of individuals, groups, and organizations that have been huge sup-porters of the Alliance for Fire Safety for many years and have stuck with us through our transition joining the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin Charitable Foundation. We

would like to take a moment to recognize some of the long-standing, as well as some of our new supporters, as we start off a new year. We have a great deal of appreciation for those

that offered event sponsorships and fulfilled grant requests throughout the year. The following made special fundraising efforts on our behalf:

Those are just a handful of the people we need to thank. To all of those mentioned above and to the countless others that worked hard

(in some cases for the entire year) to help our organization carry out its mission, we thank you. We could not do this without all of your dedication!

Thank you for your continued support!

• The Bosanko Brothers for Charity once again hosted their annual Packer Party to benefit our programming.

• Milwaukee – Local 215 Firefighters also continued their Burn Camp Packer Party tradition and even managed to sell out their event this year. Congratulations! They also host the MFD Campout.

• Scott Van Roo took on an independent project creating and selling Burn Camp T-shirts in order to offer us a donation this year. He also donated many hours of his time promoting the camp, helping us put together our Black Tie Gala, and assisting with the Milwaukee – Local 215 Packer Party benefiting Burn Camp.

• Fire & Iron Motor Cycle Clubs – Stations 17, 131, and 141 – organized their motor-cycle rides and worked closely with the Kohl’s Associates in Action program to bring in money for the Burn Camp.

• Madison – Local 311 Firefighters held their inaugural Packer Party Benefit for Burn Camp at the Coliseum Bar with an impressive showing of support on opening deer hunting weekend!

• The Mariner’s Club of Wisconsin hosted a golf outing to support the Burn Camp.• The Burn Center Golf Invitational had another successful year raising funds for

our young adult burn survivor programs, NIE, and Columbia-St. Mary’s Regional Burn Center.

• Paul Davis Restoration & Remodeling of Lakeland Counties’ golf outing once again supported the PFFWCF as well as the UW Burn Center Advancement Fund.

• Sean Jordan of Regis Catholic School in Eau Claire, planned and carried out a con-cert entitled “Rock, Drop, and Roll” with other performers to help raise money for fire safety education.

• Shorewest Realtors nominated the PFFWCF to receive their “Casual Friday” pro-ceeds.

• West Allis Firefighters held a pancake breakfast to support Burn Camp.• Neenah-Menasha Firefighters once again ran the Backdraft Bike Tour to benefit

Burn Camp.• Firefighters 4 Charity in New Berlin had multiple benefits, including a bowling

tournament and a unique “triathlon” of trap shooting, golf, and baggo. • South Shore Fire Department held their 1st Annual Hero’s Chili Cook Off, benefit-

ting Burn Camp.

Survivor Spotlight: Amanda Amon

NON PROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE

P A I DMILWAUKEE, WI

PERMIT NO. 4048

Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin Charitable FoundationAlliance for Fire Safety321 E. Main Street, Suite 200Madison, WI 537031-800-315-0911

Winter Leadership Program February 5-72nd Annual Hero’s Chili Cook-Off at Roma Lodge February 20Engine House 19 & Lakefront Brewery’s Chili Cook-Off March 13Fire & Iron 17 Motorcycle Ride for Burn Camp in Oconomowoc July 9Fire & Iron 131 Motorcycle Ride for Burn Camp in Sparta July 16Paul Davis Restoration & Remodeling Madison Golf Outing July 25Summer Camp for Burn Injured Youth August 14-20Burn Camp Visitor’s Day August 18Fire & Iron 141 Motorcycle “Ride to Remember” in Green Bay September 10Fall Fire Safety Recognition Luncheon October 11“Fire in the Sky” Fire Fighter’s Ball October 15

Mark Your Calendar for These Upcoming Events!

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