[MR] Re: What we can do

[EXCMairi at aol.com]

I have just returned from 4 1/2 days with 15,000 firemen, at the New Jersey 
State Firemen's Convention in Wildwood, NJ. We raised over $20,000 during the 
Friday and Saturday of the gathering of firefighters from all over NJ, as 
well as another $10,000 at another event associated with the gathering on 
Thursday, a large portion of which will be going to help families of 
firefighters lost in NYC. 

An incredible Burn Foundation volunteer friend of mine is now up in New York, 
since he runs a group of volunteers who do grief counselling for firefighters 
and their families. Think of those families, and all firefighters - they ARE 
a large family and they are all in a great deal of pain. I spent a large part 
of the weekend handing out little toys to the children of these families - 
they are really scared and in need of reassurance (as we all are, I guess).

I know that everyone is trying to give blood and has been encouraged to do 
so. Giving blood is important, and we should all do it more often than we do. 
Right now, it is more important to give money - to either the Red Cross or to 
the September 11 Fund of the United Way (you can sign up to give donations at 
your place of work, as a payroll deduction).

Another very important thing we can all do is to go down to your local fire 
department and volunteer some time, either as a firefighter or as a 
dispatcher or as part of an auxiliary or to help clean trucks, whatever they 
need. If you aren't able or interested in or have the time to get on the 
trucks yourself, think about this. Most local fire companies, especially 
those who depend on volunteers, pay for most of their own equipment. They 
need our financial support, on an ongoing basis, every year. If you have ever 
helped to put on a SCAdian event or helped in a SCAdian kitchen, then you 
have expertise which can help. Offer to run a spaghetti dinner, or other kind 
of fund-raising dinner, on behalf of your local fire department. I guarantee 
that it will be easier than the usual SCAdian event, and I also guarantee 
that you will get more positive feedback than you will ever get from running 
an SCA event. It's something that not every group has our kind of experience 
in doing, so consider sharing some of your medieval expertise with your 
community at large.

If you don't have time to do more for your local fire company, then please 
stop by and just say thank you, or send a note. You do not know, unless you 
are already plugged into this incredible group of people and their families, 
what they do for you the kind of stresses they live with every day.

Mairi