Firefighters from the Delaware Fire Department will host the “Heroes Tour 2016” on April 30, an event that aims to honor local children who have been affected by pediatric cancer.
Children affected by pediatric cancer — including survivors, patients, friends and family — are welcome to attend the event and receive a tour of the city’s fire station at 99 S. Liberty St. Tickets can be reserved for free by visiting www.chefdan.org.
Thomas Cook, the founder of Chef Dan + Friends, said the idea for the event came from a conversation he had with a young girl who had survived cancer. Cook said the girl told him she always wanted to visit a fire station but wasn’t able to. Cook said the girl wasn’t the only child survivor who wanted to visit a fire station.
“It seemed to be a common thing that they all wanted to do,” Cook said. “They miss out on a lot of things. We wanted to do something for the kids and it turns out this is something I can make happen. It’s not a fund-raising event. It’s just fun for the kids. There are so many kids in our area that are affected.”
Cook said that, during the event, kids will get to talk to firefighters and undergo a little bit of firefighter training, including using a fire hose. At the end of the event, they will be named honorary firefighters.
Cook said the event is open to the public but any children wishing to participate need to reserve tickets.
According to Cook, Chef Dan + Friends is an organization that provides support to families affected by childhood cancer by fundraising for research and providing direct family support through various programs. Chef Dan is 5-year-old Dan Cook, who was the inspiration for starting the organization after he stated that he wanted to bake cookies to raise funds to help children fighting cancer. Since 2013, Chef Dan + Friends — formerly Chef Dan’s Cookies for a Cure — has participated in many events and collected donations for various childhood cancer charities, including the annual St. Baldrick’s Foundation “Brave the Shave” event in Delaware.
