Two dozen local firefighters will be helping build a medical and dental clinic at Sahana Children’s Village in Sri Lanka starting late next month, and they’re hoping to spread cheer to area children by bringing along toys for everyone they encounter.
And members of Richmond Fire Fighters Local 1286 are hoping the public will once again come forward to donate toys to the effort.
“The response we have received in previous years has been overwhelming and we are hoping for that again,” said organizer Amar Gottenbos. “We will be handing out toys to every child we can, at the work site, at schools, hospitals and in the villages. We are asking for the public to donate toys that we can easily transport to Sri Lanka.”
The team of local firefighters will be travelling to Sri Lanka in late February and early March. They will be working with AIM International, a non-profit, non-governmental agency headquartered in Vancouver, and Global Action, which operates in 75 countries.