1 day down, 1 to go for Fill the Helmet

Volunteers take a brief break from their efforts on the corner of Blackstone and Shaw avenues Sept. 10 to pose for a photo. From left to right: firefighter Jeff Crask, nurse manager Sandra Yovino, pharmacist Mary Ghaffari and Dr. William Dominic.

Early morning commuters dumped ashtrays full of change into helmets as well as dollar bills and checks of all denominations as Central Valley firefighters, burn team staff and volunteers took to the streets Sept. 10 to raise funds for the Leon S. Peters Burn Center at Community Regional Medical Center.

More than $98,000 was collected on 17 street corners in Fresno, Clovis, Sanger, Reedley, Kerman and Oakhurst. On Day 2 of Fill the Helmet, Sept. 17, the scene will be repeated in the south Valley cities of Woodlake, Kingsburg, Visalia, Tulare and Dinuba.

Fill the Helmet was started more than eight years ago by Fresno fire captain Chuck Leach and Community Regional’s Peters Burn Center nurse manager Sandra Yovino to annually raise funds for burn survivors. 

“It’s a natural match. We work hand-in-hand together, so it was just a perfect partnership,” Yovino said. “They rescue the burn survivors, and we take over from there with the medical treatment. It’s an awesome team.”

Local firefighters and the burn team are committed to Fill the Helmet because they see firsthand the impact it has on the lives of burn survivors – young and old, Yovino said. Not only does it help raise much-needed funds, but it helps raise awareness of burn prevention.

The funds have been used in the past for the purchase of specialized burn surgical equipment chambers as well as resources needed for the care of children with burn injuries.

As the only full service burn facility between Los Angeles and Sacramento, the burn center covers a 15,000-square-mile service area – that’s about the size of Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Jersey combined.

Burns require very specialized care, which the burn center provides for patients from nine counties. Nearly half of those treated at the burn center are children.

The burn center provides nursing, treatment and continual observation for critically ill hospitalized patients as well as intensive treatment and rehabilitation for those recovering as outpatients. Last year, the center performed more than 10,000 burn procedures. On average, it sees about 600 patients a month.

This story was reported by Mary Lisa Russell. She can be reached at mrussell@communitymedical.org.

Friday, September 12, 2008