Water trip raises $ for ACBC
They arrived in Charleston a little waterlogged,
but their spirits certainly werenāt dampened. Since July 7, a team of S.
C. firefighters have battled surf and sea on personal watercrafts traveling
from Columbia to Montreal and back to raise awareness for burned children
and their Aluminum Cans for Burned Children (ACBC) recycling program.
On July 25, on the final leg of their journey, they stopped by the MUSC Childrenās Hospital to visit some of the pediatric patients they help support.
Sporting dark tans from their days at sea, the firefighters gave stuffed Dalmatian toys to patients in the Pediatric Burn Clinic and Childrenās Hospital.
The 3,200 mile trip raised almost $18,000 for ACBC, the firefighters announced July 27. "It has been an adventure," said Firefighter Ken Gypin, the groupās leader. "Like we have always said, we can abuse ourselves for 19 days if it helps burned children."
Four firefighters on personal watercrafts, accompanied by four in a support boat and two traveling on land, have traversed rivers, bays, the Intracoastal Waterway and even the Atlantic Ocean.
Along the way, the group stopped in eight cities including Conway, Morehead City, NC, Baltimore and New York City. "Every day was a journey," Gypin said. "Especially going through the Pamplico and Albemarle sounds and the Chesapeake Bay."
Making the trip were: Battalion Chief Rusty Smith, Capt. Greg Mundy, Capt. Joe Riester, firefighter Ken Gypin, Capt. Scott Fulkerson, Deputy Fire Marshal David Bagwell, Engineer Paul Derrick, Firefighters Travis Carricato, Wayne Mellon and Russell Goodale. All are members of the Columbia Fire Department.