FAIRFAX FIREFIGHTERS RETAIN FESTIVAL TITLE AT VT TEDDY BEAR

The Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department team took first place in a competition at the Friends for Life Festival on Saturday at Vermont Teddy Bear in Shelburne. (The above photo which appeared in the Wednesday, July 14, 2004 edition of The St. Albans Messenger, only in greyscale, is Courtesy of Vermont Teddy Bear)

Many thanks to Vermont Teddy Bear for the photo - If you would like to see the original full size photo sent to me by Vermont Teddy Bear, you may go to:

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/newsclips/fxfire_040710.jpg

SHELBURNE - The Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department defended its title in the Friends for Life Festival, an event sponsored by Vermont Teddy Bear that featured more than a dozen Vermont fire departments on Saturday.

The Fairfax firefighters won the inaugural championship last year, and repeated their success in the second annual event at the Vermont Teddy Bear Co. factory.

Three Franklin County fire departments were among the 13 Vermont units taking part as Shelburne, Essex Junction, Colchester Center, Vergennes, Fairfax, St. Albans Town, Middlebury, Malletts Bay, Clarendon, Bristol, New Haven, Highgate and Hinesburg competed in four traditional fireman's muster games. The games consisted of Water Polo, Bucket Brigade, Wet Hose and Midnight Fire Alarm.

Champion Fairfax was followed by Middlebury and Vergennes. In addition to the Fireman's Muster games, festival attendees tried their luck in the "Sink the Celebrities'' Dunking Tank featuring CBS Survivor Kathy O'Brien, Vermont Expos, Vermont Teddy Bear CEO Elisabeth Robert, WCAX personalities and a variety of fire department chiefs. Kids and adults ran through a "Bunker Bear" race course, competing for teddy bear prizes and there was a live musical performance by Blues For Breakfast, all proceeds raised at the second annual Friend for Life Festival Fireman's Muster will help to support the Friend for Life Program. Vermont Teddy Bear launched its Friend for Life program in September 2002 to more effectively meet the ever-growing need for rescue teddy bears. Rescue personnel have found that teddy bears provide welcome on-site and in-transit comfort to children involved in house fires, car crashes, and other traumatic events. In times of crisis, children respond positively to the familiar comfort of a teddy bear. Although teddy bears are used on some emergency vehicles, budget constraints limit fire and police stations from carrying sufficient supplies. Typically, the stations must rely on private donations from companies such as Vermont Teddy Bear. Funded by the Company and outside donations, Vermont Teddy Bear's Friendd for Life Program offers free, specially designed Little Hero Bears to emergency service professionals around the country. More than 600 fire departments and rescue personnel across the country have received Little Hero Bears.

For more information about The Vermont Teddy Bear Company and The Friend for Life Program log onto www.VermontTeddyBear.com or www.FriendforLife.org .

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