The firefighters behind the Montecito Firefighters' Charitable Foundation just keep on giving. These brave, generous individuals who risk their lives for us on a daily basis desire to do even more to help those in need — so they run a charitable foundation that provides grants to ill and injured firefighters and their families, children, victims of natural disasters, and burn victims. On February 1, the Foundation held its second annual celebration fundraiser, this time at the Rosewood Miramar Beach, where guests enjoyed a fun celebration and raised $60,000 (net) for this worthy nonprofit. Among the 210 guests were 85 firefighters and their significant others (nearly the whole department), whose tickets were paid for by generous donors.
VIPs arrived early for a cocktail reception, where Montecito Fire Protection District (MFPD) Chief Kevin Taylor recognized the incredible men running the foundation: Fire Marshal Aaron Briner (president), Engineer Lucas Grant (vice president), Firefighter/Paramedic Shawn Whilt (secretary), Firefighter/EMT Dan Arnold (treasurer), and Assistant Fire Marshal Alex Broumand (member-at-large).
Taylor related how the firefighters in his department go above and beyond every single day that they are on duty for all in the community, and on top of that, in their spare time, this group of five active duty firefighters also run this foundation to further help those in need.