The Wake Forest Fire Department announced in March that its members would wear custom “Autism Awareness” T-shirts throughout April in support of “Autism Awareness Month.” In response to strong public interest in Wake Forest and beyond, the WFFD agreed to sell the T-shirts in a variety of youth and adult sizes for $20 each.
Due to the incredible demand, the fire department placed three different orders and sold a total of 972 shirts – some to people as far away at Mattydale, NY, Tampa, FL, and Wahiawa, HI. For every T-shirt sold, the WFFD donated just over $5 to the Autism Society of NC for a total contribution of $5,121.79.
“We are very proud of this accomplishment which would not have been possible without the wonderful support of our community and others across the United States,” said Fire Chief Ron Early. “The Wake Forest Fire Department members would like to thank everyone for helping us support such a great foundation and for their continued efforts to raise awareness of autism.”
The WFFD extends a special thanks to the following: B-Shift Station 1 Personnel (Capt. Justin Brown, Capt. Ben Davis, Lt. Christopher Wilkins, Lt. Justin Alderman; Firefighters Lee Blackwell, Scott Knowles, Sam Scales and Brice Strickland); Wake Forest Communications Staff; Steve’s T’s & Uniforms Inc., especially Steve Davis, Brian Apple, and staff); Town and Country Hardware, especially Wyatt and Gretchen; and Tammy Early, mother of Kyle Early, for whom the donation to the Autism Society of NC will be in memory.
#
