Those who work in the Greensboro Fire Department were all smiles just after 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17 when the department received a very nice gift from the Kiwanis Club of Greensboro: a giant check for $50,000 that will be used to support the purchase of a Fire Education Safety Trailer.

The trailer will be the centerpiece of a community outreach fire prevention program that will teach children about fire prevention, response and safety.

The trailer will travel around the county and educational programs will let firefighters educate children on fire safety. The more that can be done to keep fires from starting, the better for the Fire Department because no one has to put out a fire if it never starts in the first place. The gift was presented at a celebratory event at the Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in Greensboro.

The city’s firefighters weren’t the only ones who were excited about the donation. Greensboro City Councilmember Marikay Abuzuaiter said Thursday night that this was a big deal and the program will be very beneficial.

“I am thrilled about the $50,000 donation that the Kiwanis Club of Greensboro raised to assist the Fire Department in purchasing a Fire Safety Education Trailer,” she said. “The mission of our Kiwanis Club is to improve the lives of children in our community – one child at a time. The purchase of this safety trailer will help educate children and families in all aspects of fire safety and will be mobile so it can go into neighborhoods, recreation centers and schools.”

She added that the trailer, used for education, should lead to Greensboro and the surrounding area being a safer place to live.

“The more we educate our community about fire safety, the safer our entire community becomes,” Abuzuaiter said. “The monies raised for this donation came solely from the Kiwanis members and I can’t say enough about how proud I am of them for opening their hearts and their pockets.”

The Greensboro Fire Department posted its appreciation on social media Thursday night, thanking the Kiwanis Club for a “most generous” donation of $50,000 to “help make the Greensboro Fire Department Education Safety Trailer a reality!”

The post from the Fire Department stated that city firefighters look forward to expanding the department’s resources and reaching the youth in the community with the important information.