The Family Fun Day hosted Sept. 10 by the Township of Langley Firefighters’ Charitable Society (TLFCS) is a chance for the public to learn more about the sick children’s playroom they will help fund.
The event is raising funds for a pediatric unit playroom and mobile play cart at Langley Memorial Hospital.
“The playroom and cart are being done in partnership with local company the International Play Company, and since the final designs haven’t been decided on, we can’t release drawings yet, though the hope is to have that available [Sept. 10],” said firefighter Jhim Burwell, speaking for the TLFCS.
Family Fun Day will be the first dedicated fundraiser for the playroom project which will cost about $22,000.
So the charitable society is hoping lots of people head to Krause Berry Farms to spend the day having fun.
“This year is going to be even bigger and more fun, especially since the rivalry for the firefighters’ pie-eating contest has been building for a couple of years,” Burwell noted.
Last year’s event saw all the most recently hired professional firefighters compete for bragging rights.
“We haven’t finalized the slate of competitors this year yet, but bragging rights and glory go to not only the quickest pie eater but to his or her crew,” he explained.
The pie eating contest is at noon. The event runs 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. There’s face painting from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. but the other activities runs throughout the day.
There will be bouncy castles by the Re/Max Special Events Team. The Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation will have the Teddy Bear Clinic going with stuffies available for adoption. The Langley Animal Protection Society will be there to spotlight rescue animals.
Firefighters will be serving up berry waffles and hosting firefighter activities. Anyone can go through the smoke search room, a small portable structure used to educate people about what it’s like to be in a fire and how to react.
The Township of Langley Firefighters’ Charitable Society is a not-for-profit society. Currently the TLFCS has several projects being developed, including a nutritious snack program for local students with the Langley School District Foundation and Save-On-Foods Group, clothing donation bins at Township fire halls, as well as fundraising activities with the Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation
It also supports the B.C. Professional Firefighters Association Burn Fund, the Canadian Cancer Society and Muscular Dystrophy Canada.
“We have been building this festival event with Krause Berry Farms for the last couple of years, and we are starting to hear people asking when it’s coming up,” Burwell said. “It was the Krause team’s idea to bring a firefighter-themed family day to their farm and market, and everyone has had a great time.”