November 25, 2005

Local burn foundation to hold ‘Fill the Boot—with your Loot’ event

San Jose Firefighters and burn unit nurses to collect money
for burn victims Nov. 26 at Camera Cinema theaters

By Sheila Sanchez
Staff Writer

The nonprofit San Jose Firefighters Burn Foundation will be holding its annual “Fill the boot—with your Loot” fundraising event Saturday at all Camera Cinema theaters to help burn survivors and their families.

San Jose Fire Capt. Mitch Wisinski is the president of the San Jose Firefighters Burn Foundation, which supports the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center’s Burn Unit and treatment and care of burn survivors and their families.

From noon until 7 p.m., on Nov. 26, firefighters and burn unit nurses will be standing outside the three Camera Cinema locations—downtown San Jose, Campbell’s Pruneyard and downtown Los Gatos—to collect money from moviegoers and the public. They are raising money for the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center’s Burn Unit, a regional burn treatment facility, which uses the funds to purchase medical equipment such as wheelchairs and blood warmers, sponsor national training programs, fund burn treatment research and burn education for community schools.

The San Jose Fire Department established the foundation in 1990 to support burn survivor re-entry programs, burn survivor camps for children, adult burn survivor support groups, adult burn survivor retreats and financial support for burn survivor’s families.

San Jose Fire Capt. Mitch Wisinski, president of the foundation, explained the charity began when fire prevention officials recognized a need in the community. It turns out that when local families were victims of house fires and turned to the American Red Cross for housing assistance the organization didn’t have enough money to house those left homeless.

In 2000, San Jose firefighters started the first “Fill the boot—with your Loot,” campaign. Firefighters stood on street corners for four hours collecting—in one spot more than $23,000. Because of the fundraising event, the foundation has donated close to $60,000 to the American Red Cross.

Last year, however, the event was cancelled when San Jose Fire Department Chief Jeffrey Clet pulled firefighters from street corners because of safety reasons.

This year, the foundation partnered with Jim Zuur, owner of the Camera Cinema theaters, to continue the event, which gives much needed funding to the hospital’s burn unit.

Nobody knows more about loss and devastation than the 43-year-old Wisinski. His brother, who wanted to become a firefighter, drowned at age 16. His sister was killed in a car crash when she was 18 years old. He lost his other brother and nephew in a small airplane crash three years ago. His nephew lived for about 28 hours with third-degree burns over 95 percent of his body. And he lost his father and five uncles over a two-year span.

“I’ve had a hard time for the past few years, but I love my job and I love helping people. Our goal will be to get anyone out and about walking in the area to actually help our need,” Wisinski said. “We’ll ask for anything from change, $1, $2, $5, $10, $20 whatever they’re willing to give. All of it will benefit the foundation.”

Burn survivor Jill Sproul, nurse manager of the Burn Unit at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, praised the foundation for raising money to help its programs. “We’re so fortunate to have the firefighters because the money they raise helps families who have nothing or who are barely getting by … It’s a way to really support the patients,” Sproul said.

San Jose Fire Capt. Mitch Wisinski, president of the San Jose Firefighters Burn Foundation, and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Burn Unit manager Jill Sproul are organizing the next “Fill the boot—with your Loot” fundraising event at the Camera Cinema theaters. Photos by Sheila Sanchez

The foundation also co-sponsors the San Jose Fire Department Clown Brigade. Their mission is to represent the foundation and the department as ambassadors who bring joy and laughter to others while they educate them about fire and life safety through special shows, hospital visits, parades and children’s fairs.

“By no means are we going to change someone’s life completely…but if we can put a couple of thousand dollars in his or her pocket for food, housing or clothing then that’s what we’re going to do,” Wisinski said. “Anyone can be a victim of fire… Some people are burned more than others…Those severely burned will need many surgeries, therapy and healing to get close to the way they were before,” he said.

Wisinski began his involvement with the foundation by first attending its burn camps for children in the winter and summer. These give young burn survivors, ages 5 through 17, a chance to meet others who have gone through a similar experience. The camp provides a safe environment to share feelings as well about their burn and recovery experiences.

Wisinski said the camps help burn victims be themselves. “They’re children. They’re just children with scars. They still have the same heart and soul. They still like to play and have a good time, but they want to do it without being looked at and ridiculed,” he said.

The foundation began its burn camp seven years ago in the Santa Cruz Mountains in the spring and a weeklong camp at Tahoe in the summer with help from the Pacific Burn Institute in Sacramento and other neighboring burn foundations.

“The families are very appreciative of what we do for them,” he said.

He’s also grateful for the love and support from his firefighter brothers and sisters. “They’re my second family,” she said.

“I like to better my community. I don’t get paid a dime for any of this but there’s a love for this. Once you get involved with something like this and you see the good that it does for these kids, there’s no turning back,” he said.

For more information or to donate to the cause send a check to the San Jose Firefighters Burn Foundation, 1302 Lincoln Ave., Suite 202, San Jose, CA 95125, or call (408) 277-4364 or visit www.sjfd.com.