Newest articles on The Sacramento Press written by Jim Doucette

A Tropical Affair

2012-05-08T19:52:32Z

On Saturday June the 9th the Firefighters Burn Institute will be hosting a party! "A Tropical Affair” will be held at the Shriners Hospital for Children on Stockton Blvd. Located behind Shriners is a large lawn area where the party will be held under the stars! We will have a lot of food and drink vendors that will be there and the band, Wonder Bread 5 will be helping everyone dance the night away! Hawaiian dancers will also be on hand! You can purchase tickets at www.ffburn.org Please support the Firefighters Burn Institute and help make this a night that everyone will remember! Proceeds will help benefit the burn units at Shriners and U.C. Davis Hospitals….

Disclosure: Jim Doucette is the Executive Director of the Firefighters Burn Institute

Firefighters Fill the Boot for Burns

2012-02-14T20:24:08Z

Firefighters from many of the fire departments serving Sacramento and surrounding communities will support the Firefighters Burn Institute at our annual “Fill the Boot for Burns Boot Drive”. This year’s Boot Drive will be held February the 17th through the 20th at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights.

Our “kick off” will be held in conjunction with the “Media and Fire Chief’s Challenge” on Saturday the 18th at 10:00 A.M. Fire agencies in 18 Northern California counties are also hosting “Fill the Boot for Burns” events during the next 2 months.

The entire weekend Firefighters Mike Feyh and Forrest Rowell will be high above the intersection of Greenback and Sunrise in their Fire Truck Aerial Basket.

The Firefighters Boot Drive is open to the public and will include a free Safety Fair on Saturday, February 18th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to be held outside Sunrise Mall, weather permitting. For additional information contact the Firefighters Burn Institute at (916) 739-8525 or visit our website at www.ffburn.org.

Disclosure: Jim Doucette is the Executive Director of the Firefighters Burn Institute

2012 Dance on Fire Calendar

2011-10-18T19:53:07Z

“Dance on Fire,” a pictorial 2012 calendar created as a joint effort by the Firefighters’ Burn Institute and the Sacramento Ballet, will have its sales debut on October 21. It features twelve beautifully rendered images by award-winning photographer Keith Sutter, each one featuring one of Sacramento areas dedicated firefighters paired with a dancer from the Sacramento Ballet. All proceeds from calendar sales benefit the Sacramento Ballet and the Firefighters Burn Institute equally.

The idea for the calendar grew out of conversations between Nancy Garton, a ballet Board member, and Jim Doucette, Executive Director of the Firefighters Burn Institute. When the idea was shared with ballet Artistic Directors Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda and the Firefighters Burn Institute Board of Directors, everyone was excited about the possibilities. It wasn’t long before they brought noted dance photographer Keith Sutter into the discussion.

Sutter’s concept was to pair a firefighter with a dancer (men and women from each) in unique, sometimes surreal, settings throughout the city. The effort yielded a calendar that is not only artistically beautiful, but also dynamic and fun.

The 2012 calendar goes on sale at the ballet’s upcoming production at the Community Center Theater of Ron Cunningham’s Dracula on October 22, 23, 27 and 28. Several of the dancer and firefighter models will be available for calendar signings as well. Other points of sale will include: Raley’s Family of Fine Stores, Old Soul Coffee House locations; Sacramento Ballet’s studios at 1631 K Street and the Firefighters Burn Institute at 3101 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento. It is also available for purchase online at: www.sacballet.org and www.ffburn.org .

Disclosure: Jim Doucette is the Executive Director of the Firefighters Burn Institute

19th Annual "Firefighters Kids Camp"

2011-07-29T22:08:13Z

This Sunday over 50 young burn survivors will be rendezvousing at Shriners Hospital for Children, Sacramento, and heading off to Lake Tahoe for a fun filled week! They will be attending the 19th annual, “Firefighters Kids Camp.”

There will be a lot of activities that they will participate in, but the most important thing about this camp, is that they get to be around other kids just like themselves! Burn injuries are very traumatic and can be disfiguring. Sometimes these kids face teasing and ridicule from other kids, but this camp not only gets them away from that for the week, it also teaches them how to handle this kind of behavior in their everyday life. They will also participate in physical activities that they normally could not do at home I.E. rock climbing, swimming, hiking, and many others.

The camp is run and funded entirely by the Firefighters Burn Institute. Camp staff is made up of numerous volunteers from all walks of life, including Firefighters, Nurses, and Law Enforcement amongst others.

These tremendous kids come from all around the Sacramento Region, but some come from further away. This year we have campers from Washington, Hawaii, Texas and believe it or not, Switzerland!

To learn more about the Firefighters Kids Camp and the Firefighters Burn Institute please visit www.ffburn.org

Disclosure: Jim Doucette is the Executive Director for the Firefighters Burn Institute.

Little Heroes Preschool Burn Camp

2011-07-19T18:08:40Z

The Firefighters Burn Institute is recruiting young burn survivors for our upcoming Little Heroes Preschool Burn Camp. The camp is held September 30 through October 2, 2011 at Camp Arroyo in Livermore, CA. It is designed for young burn survivors and their families. There is no charge to attend this camp, including most transportation. For more information please contact Catharine Shaw at (916) 739-8525.

Disclosure: Jim Doucette is the Executive Director for the Firefighters Burn Institute.

Firefighter/Ballet Dancer 2012 Calendar

2011-06-16T16:34:34Z

The Firefighters Burn Institute and the Sacramento Ballet have partnered to create a 2012 Firefighter/Ballet Calendar. Both charities have had calendars in the past, but this new calendar will be very different and exciting! Every month will feature a Firefighter and a Dancer together in a very artistic pose! Renowned local photographer, Keith Sutter will be using his talent to capture the breath taking images of the Firefighters and the Dancers together.

The calendar will be a fundraiser for both charities and one of the ways we are raising funds is to have an online voting contest to pick the winners from the Firefighting Community and the Sacramento Ballet. Each organization has a web page dedicated for this. There are 19 Firefighter Contestants and 21 Ballet Dancer Contestants. Everyone is encouraged to go to both pages and vote for their favorite Firefighter and Dancer. Each vote costs $2.00 and you may vote for as many contestants and as often as you wish! Please support both of these very worthwhile charities and vote!!!

We hope to have the calendars available for purchase by mid October. They will be available online at the websites of the Firefighters Burn Institut and the Sacramento Ballet. The calendars will also be available at local retail outlets and events hosted by both charities.

The on line voting pages are:

http://ffburn.org/store

http://www.sacballet.org/index.php/support_your_ballet/401/

Photographer Keith Sutter:

www.sutterphoto.com/Welcome.html

Disclosure: Jim Doucette is the Executive Director for the Firefighters Burn Institute.

Help Support Little Heroes Preschool Burn Camp

2011-04-25T16:00:12Z

By going to this link http://www.raleys.com/cfapps/reach/nomination.cfm?ideaid=1833175 you can help support our Little Heroes Preschool Burn Camp. We are trying to win a $5000.00 grant from Raley’s. Below is an article I wrote in September of last year about the Little Heroes Preschool Burn Camp.

This coming Friday October the 1st the Firefighters Burn Institute will be holding its third annual, “Little Heroes Preschool Burn Camp”. The Little Heroes Preschool Burn Camp was developed for Burn Survivor’s ages 3 to 6 years old and their caregiver(s). This unique 3-day burn camp focuses on providing skills to help participants cope with the physical and emotional challenges associated with burn recovery. For preschoolers, the program provides children the opportunity to socialize with other burn survivors and participate in recovery activities specifically designed for their age group. Parallel adult sessions provide education and support for the child’s caregiver(s) and siblings.
Burns are obviously a very serious type of injury and these kids have special needs. Their families have the same needs, and the camp is an excellent opportunity for everyone involved to learn more about how to live with these serious injuries. But the camp isn’t only about learning! There are a lot of activities that everyone will enjoy! Obviously most kids go to camp to have fun, and this camp is no different!

This year we have over 15 Burn Survivor children and their families attending. Most of the children who will be attending are coming from Mexico. Sadly, they were part of the tragic fire that occurred in the daycare facility in Hermosillo back in June of 2009. Over 40 toddlers and infants were killed in that horrible fire. Some of the children who survived were treated at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Sacramento. Because of this tragedy the Firefighters Burn Institute will be working with individuals from Mexico who would like to start their own Burn Foundation.

The camp is staffed by volunteers that include Firefighters and staff from the Shriners Hospital for Children and the Firefighters Burn Institute. The camp is completely funded by the Firefighters Burn Institute. The children who attend are encouraged to attend our “Firefighters Burn Camp” in Lake Tahoe, CA. The “Firefighters Burn Camp” usually has about 60 Burn Survivors who attend. They come from here in Northern California and from as far away as China and Switzerland!

You can be a friend of the Firefighters Burn Institute on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (ffburninstitute). Our website is www.ffburn.org.

Fill the Boot for Burns Boot Drives

2011-02-14T23:45:24Z

Our annual “Fill the Boot for Burns” Boot Drive takes place this weekend at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights. This year’s Boot Drive will be our 17th. Although it isn’t our only Boot Drive, it is our largest. It is also the largest fund raiser we have every year. Below is a list of “Satellite Boot Drives” in our region.

If you are in the area, please stop by and make a donation if you can. The Firefighters Burn Institute is a great charity that helps a lot of people.

Please visit our new and improved website at www.ffburn.org to see the things that we do, and to find out more on how you can help.

February 12-13
• Madison Fire Department with help from other Yolo County Fire Departments

February 18-21
• Citrus Heights @ Sunrise Mall
• Cameron Park Fire Department with help from Cal Fire
• Cal Fire Nevada in Lincoln @ Thunder Valley Casino
• El Dorado Hills Fire Department
• Farmington Rural Fire Protection District
• Forestshill Volunteer Firefighters Association
• Loomis Fire Department with help from Penryn Fire and Newcastle Fire

Little Heroes Preschool Burn Camp

2010-09-22T16:20:12Z

Burns are obviously a very serious type of injury and these kids have special needs. Their families have the same needs, and the camp is an excellent opportunity for everyone involved to learn more about how to live with these serious injuries. But the camp isn’t only about learning! There are a lot of activities that everyone will enjoy! Obviously most kids go to camp to have fun, and this camp is no different!

This year we have over 15 Burn Survivor children and their families attending. Most of the children who will be attending are coming from Mexico. Sadly, they were part of the tragic fire that occurred in the daycare facility in Hermosillo back in June of 2009. Over 40 toddlers and infants were killed in that horrible fire. Some of the children who survived were treated at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Sacramento. Because of this tragedy the Firefighters Burn Institute will be working with individuals from Mexico who would like to start their own Burn Foundation.

You can be a friend of the Firefighters Burn Institute on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (ffburninstitute). Our website is www.ffburn.org, although it is currently being reconstructed.

Firefighters Kids Camp

2010-08-10T21:39:48Z

This past Sunday 51 young burn survivors left for Camp Concord in Lake Tahoe for the 18th annual, “Firefighters Kids Camp”. These kids will enjoy a week of fun and education at camp. For many of these kids, this is not their first time attending the camp and it probably will not be their last! The Firefighters Burn Institute has been organized since 1973. More information about our organization can be found at www.ffburn.org