Most children enjoy receiving toys and fun games for their birthday presents. Five-year-old Noah Hall-King decided he wanted something different for his birthday.
Noah, who lives in Ocoee, decided that he wanted to collect money for the Ocoee Fire Department instead of getting birthday gifts. With the help of his mom, Cheryl King, Noah started raising funds well before his 5th birthday party. With donations from friends and neighbors, Noah collected $1,210.
On May 7, at the Ocoee City Commission meeting, Noah presented firefighters with a fire boot filled with the money he collected. For his efforts, he was presented with an official fire badge, fire department baseball cap and a shadow box mounted with fire emblems.
“The donation received from Noah was far greater than the amount that I expected. I felt it was only fitting to pin Noah with an official Ocoee firefighter badge and award him the title of Honorary Firefighter. Everyone should keep an eye out for Noah. I expect you will see him riding our Ocoee fire engines in many upcoming parades,” said Fire Chief Pete McNeil.
The money Noah raised will be used for the fire department’s Fully Involved Program. The program involves firefighters helping physically challenged and low-income residents complete home-improvement projects. Wheelchair ramps, smoke detector installations and general cleanup are some of the projects completed through the Fully Involved Program. Funds from the program also go toward public education programs and materials, CPR/AED training and the Citizen’s Fire Academy.