Local firefighters visited 16 Central Coast schools and raised over $10,000 during Thursday's 32nd annual Burn Relay.
The event was in support of the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation— a non-profit that provides burn prevention education and programs for burn survivors in California.
Five Cities Fire Authority firefighter Jeff Lane told KSBY that Burn Relay connects community members to the emergency personnel who serve them.
"It's good to put a face to the firefighter. It's good for us to get the information out that we're not just there to put fires out, but we're there to keep them safe [from] anything that they call 911 and the firefighters respond for," Lane said.
Donations totaling $10,250 collected during Thursday's Burn Relay fundraiser will go toward the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation's burn education programs, as well as its camps and retreats for young burn survivors.
The foundation says it expected to share its message with up to 8,000 children in San Luis Obispo County during the relay before concluding the parade at the San Luis Obispo Farmer's Market.
