New Providence Fire Department seeks aluminum cans to help burn victims

This has been a tough winter for everyone, including the New Providence Fire Department — the aluminum can cart was plowed in during much of February and March, which means donations are down.

For those who may not know about the can cart, three or four times a year Frederick Gaghan and Emil Koref take the cart down to Newark and recycle the aluminum cans. The proceeds from the recycling are donated to the Saint Barnabas Burn Foundation for Children.

Not only was the cart snowed in, the bad weather probably kept people from even putting a run to drop off their aluminum cans on their to-do list. The cart is no longer in the corner of the parking lot, it's on the back edge of the lot and there's plenty of room for those cans.

The money raised from the donations is used to sponsor former burn patients between the ages of seven and 15 at summer camp; provides transportation to Saint Barnabas Medical Center outpatient clinic for follow-up care after a patient is discharged; provides bus passes and meals for family members of young patients so they can visit their child; pays for medicine and medical supplies for those who can't afford it and provides items in The Burn Center and Step Down Unit needed for the comfort of the young patients.

The Mobile Fire Safety House that goes to schools, fire departments and community events was bought with money from the donated cans. It also pays for educational materials and the annual holiday party for burn patients and their families.

The department began contributing to the foundation in 2000 and they aren't alone. Many fire departments and corporations throughout the state contribute to the foundation.

On Tuesday afternoon, Gaghan said the department contributes between $1,000 and $2,000 a year to the foundation. When the can cart gets filled, he takes it to Newark where it is weighed. Then he drives another few blocks, dumps the cans and returns to the weigh station, where he finds out how much the load of cans weighed. Depending upon the price of aluminum, the department gets a check for the donation. Then he brings the empty cart to New Providence, parks it at the fire department and waits for the donations to come rolling in.

Now that spring is here and there are more cold beverages in aluminum cans being consumed, remember to drop off your unused aluminum cans at the can cart behind the fire house, so the department can continue to contribute to the Saint Barnabas Burn Foundation.