Central New York Firefighters Helping Burn Victims

Take firefighters with big hearts and a passion for hockey and you can bet something good is going to happen.  An Ilion father and son duo, a former Schuyler resident and a retired Syracuse firefighter have banded together to help burn victims throughout Upstate and Central New York with the Fire On Ice Hockey Game.

John and Kyle Stephens from Ilion and Greg Smith, a former Schuyler resident and now Washington DC Firefighter wanted to find a way to help burn victims.  It just so happened that John was also friends with Jim Ennis, a retired Syracuse Firefighter who was now chairman of the Burn Foundation of Central New York.  You can see how it all came together.

Saturday, November 7 the fab four will host their 3rd benefit hockey games at the Kennedy Arena in Rome.  John and Kyle say their goal is to help raise awareness of the stigma that burn victims go through and to raise funds for the foundation and it's camp that serves 38 counties from the Canadian border into Northern Pennsylvania.

There will be an open skate from 3-415 PM and first game starts at 430PM (UFD/Rome vs Syracuse FD) and the second game starting at 630 (DCFD vs CNY Flames.)

To date they have raised $10,000 for the foundation and would like to double that at this year's event.  You can help in a variety of ways; attending the hockey game, purchasing auction items or supporting their Go Fund Me Page.

And if you can't make the game, the guys have just added a "Meet 'N Greet with the players and local heroes.  There will be a party at the Mill in Rome which will include the hockey players and local firefighters as guest bartenders.  The event is Friday, November 6 at 9:45.