Sycamore Canyon Academy Students Raise Money for Yarnell Firefighters' Families

Sycamore Canyon Academy students recently organized a car wash at the Oracle Fire Department to benefit the families of the 19 firefighters who lost their lives on June 30, battling the Yarnell fire in central Arizona.

The firefighters were part of an elite firefighting unit called the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a 20 member squad that is part of the Prescott Fire Department. These young men battled the fast-moving fire as it threatened a small town near Prescott, Arizona. The fire swept over these men, forcing them to scramble into individual emergency fire (foil) shelters - a last resort for wild land firefighters caught amid flames. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office determined that all 19 died of accidental fire-related injuries.
 

Students enrolled in the Sycamore Canyon Academy Fire Science class got together and decided they wanted to make a difference by helping to raise money for the widows, children and families of these fallen heroes. As student athlete Jonathan P. stated, "After hearing about the tragedy of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, my classmates and I felt terrible that these firefighters lost their lives and knew we had to do something to help."

The Oracle Fire Department donated the water and their site for the event. Kris Herman, Community Service Project Manager and Fire Science instructor at Sycamore Canyon Academy, said, "The students did a great job and each one felt really good about being able to volunteer and raise money for these families."