Fire Departments Raise $10K in Honor of Deputy Chief Mark Johnson

Submitted by the Hinsdale Professional Firefighter’s Association.

The Hinsdale Fire Department hosted its annual softball tournament Sunday, Sept. 6, in honor of Hinsdale Deputy Fire Chief Mark Johnson, who tragically lost his life in the line of duty in September 2010.

Already in its fifth year, the one-day tournament raised over $10,000 for local charities including Hinsdale’s Safety Village, the Hinsdale Family Services Center and Illinois’ Burn Camp.

The tournament kicked off at 8 a.m. on Sunday at Veeck Park in a boots versus badges matchup between the Hinsdale Fire Department and the Hinsdale Police Department. The game ended with the police on top 13 - 2.

Eight games followed between several other fire departments including the Western Springs, Maywood, Clarendon Hills and La Grange Park Fire Departments, the Hinsdale Public Works Department and the Lisle-Woodridge and Pleasantview Fire Protection Districts. In the end, the La Grange Park Fire Department took home the championship with a convincing victory against Lisle-Woodridge.

The heat and humidity didn’t keep spectators away as crowds from all over came to show their support throughout the day. Hinsdale Firefighters cooked hotdogs and Juan Marin, who works for the Hinsdale Public Services Department, and his family donated their time to cook tacos for everyone in attendance.

All the food and drinks were free. This year’s tournament raised money through various raffle prizes, which were donated by Chief Johnson’s family, several Hinsdale firefighters and local business.

The event is success every because of the tireless efforts of Hinsdale Firefighter/Paramedic Jim Nichols. He’s been responsible for the planning, organizing and running of the event, which has raised a total of $60,000 over the past five years.

The Hinsdale Fire Department would like to thank everyone who helped make this a great tradition for our Department and such an honorable tribute to Deputy Chief Mark Johnson and his family.