Woodland students celebrate birthdays with firefighters
Two Woodland Primary School students had a celebration to remember last month.
Ben and Charlie McCarthy paid a visit to the firefighters of Fire Station No. 1 on Old Grand Avenue in Gurnee. Following lunch with the firemen, they got a special surprise from their new friends in the shape of a birthday cake in celebration of their sixth birthdays on June 16. They also received a tour and a ride in the ladder tower.
"I liked that I could see the entire world," said Charlie McCarthy after coming off the ladder truck.
Lunch with the Gurnee Fire Department was made possible through the Woodland Educational Foundation's second benefit auction, Woodland Wishes, held April 17 at the Hunt Club Community Center. More than $14,000 was raised at Woodland Wishes this year.
The firefighters of Station No. 1 wanted to make this birthday extra special for the twins, who lost their father, Chuck McCarthy, to cancer last spring.
"We wanted to do something special for these young men," said firefighter-paramedic Matt Sondej, who, along with his wife Primary School teacher Jennifer Sondej, organized this auction item for Woodland Wishes. "It's an honor for us to welcome these two into our house and include them as part of our family."
It was a day to remember for Ben, Charlie and their mother, Shelly McCarthy.
"Having lost their father, these firefighters are the ultimate role models," said McCarthy. "This is something they have always been interested in. The fact that Ben and Charlie can have this wonderful experience, this day will be forever embedded in their memory. It's the chance of a lifetime. We deeply appreciate all the love and support from everyone from Woodland and the community this last year."
The Woodland Educational Foundation was established in 2006. A team of Woodland District 50 staff and community members collaborated to establish a foundation that would creatively generate and distribute resources with which to enrich and enhance the opportunities of educational experiences of Woodland Community Consolidated School District 50 students. The foundation's intent is to create a mechanism to receive and disperse funds, properties and gifts of any kind to benefit the students and staff for innovative projects, student scholarships, support for supplemental projects and technology.