Fire Engines Blast Sirens as Mill Valley Collects $4,700 for Annual Relay

North Bay fire departments, emergency response agencies and the California Highway Patrol raised money for burn victims Wednesday during the annual North Bay Firefighter Burn relay.

The relay, benefiting the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, left Healdsburg Wednesday morning and ended at the Southern Marin Fire Station 1 in Sausalito at about 5:30 p.m.

In the late afternoon, fire engines and other emergency vehicles paraded through Mill Valley, blasting their sirens as they headed toward the Mill Valley Fire Station 7 at 1 Hamilton Drive. Other Marin areas the relay went through included Novato, San Anselmo, Marinwood, Kentfield, Larkspur, Corte Madera, Tiburon and Mill Valley.

"Last year this relay raised over $31,000 which helped us serve over 300 burn survivors and provide prevention education to over 22,000 students throughout the state of California," Jennifer Radics, executive director of the Alica Ann Ruch Burn Foundation said.

This year the total came to $41,000, and Mill Valley collected $4,700, Mill Valley Fire Chief Jeff Davidson said.

Along the route in Sonoma and Marin counties local firefighters collected donations raised by fire and public safety agencies through community events that included golf tournaments, pancake breakfasts and spaghetti dinners.

Eight-year-old Alisa Ann Ruch was fatally injured in a backyard barbecue accident in Southern California. Her parents, local firefighters and medical professionals created the Foundation in 1971 to prevent burn injuries by teaching Stop Drop and Roll. To make an online donation, click here.

Services for burn survivors include a Champ Camp, young adult summit, in-hospital support groups and school re-entry programs.