Annual Portrait Fundraiser Buys Equipment
Lexington, South Carolina (pop. 10,000) -- For the last four years, the Oak Grove Fire Department of Lexington, South Carolina, has managed an annual portrait fundraiser with a local photography studio, raising about $15,000 per year to put toward tools and equipment for firefighters. Proceeds from this year’s fundraiser will go toward buying a thermal imager for the department. The minimum donation per seating is $20, and 50 percent of proceeds go to the fire department. Photo sessions are spread over the course of two months, starting on Easter and taking place every two weeks.
Capt. Bob Hackler: “We use this money for tools that the county doesn’t provide because of budget constraints, including personal-issue SCBA masks, PASS alarms, and Jaws of Life. There’s not that much time involved for us. The company sells the portrait sessions door-to-door, and they shoot the actual pictures here at the fire station… We’re always here during the sessions, so we use it as an opportunity for public education. We do tours of the fire station with the families that have kids, and we show people the tools that we’ve purchased in the past with the money we’ve raised.”
Funding Tip: If your department doesn’t already have an annual fundraiser for extra tools and equipment, consider starting one. A portrait fundraiser requires a relatively small effort from the firefighters and provides an excellent opportunity for them to reach out to the public.
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