Goose Creek Fire Department Receives $8K from 9/11 Heroes Run‏

Jesse and Theresa Faircloth present Goose Creek Fire Chief Steve Chapman with a check for $8,000 on the morning of Dec. 3, as GCFD firefighters look on.

GOOSE CREEK, S.C.–The Goose Creek Fire Department has received an $8,000 grant aimed at increasing the safety and wellbeing of its firefighters.

The grant – presented to the GCFD on Dec. 3 – comes from funds raised by the 2015 Charleston 9/11 Heroes Run. The money will be used for new Streamlight flashlights and other safety-related equipment.

A part of the Travis Manion Foundation, the 9/11 Heroes Run spans 38 states, seven countries, and included over 15,000 runners in 2015. The event honors the sacrifices of the heroes of Sept. 11, and of all U.S. Veterans and first responders.

Locally, 884 runners took part in the 2015 Charleston 9/11 Heroes Run on Sept. 12, which raised over $50,000. After expenses, half of those proceeds went to the Travis Manion Foundation, while the remaining half stayed in the Lowcountry.

The GCFD was one of three local organizations chosen to be a grant recipient in 2015, along with C&B Volunteer Fire Department in Ladson, and the South Carolina Fraternal Order of Police Distressed Officer’s Fund.

Theresa Faircloth of Summerville is the director of the Charleston 9/11 Heroes Run, now in its fourth year. She was thrilled with both the turnout and the amount of money raised. “We weren’t expecting that much,” she said. “We met our goal, plus a lot.”

Faircloth said planning has already begun for the 2016 Heroes Run.

Chief Chapman said that he did not know the amount of the grant until Faircloth handed him the check at the City’s main fire station Thursday morning. “This is fantastic,” Chapman said. “We are honored … it’s a lot more than I was expecting.”

The Travis Manion Foundation is named for U.S. Marine Travis Manion who was killed in combat in Iraq. The foundation continues Lt. Manion’s mission of inspiring selfless service and assisting the nation’s veterans and families of fallen heroes.

In a letter to the GCFD, Travis Manion Foundation President Ryan Manion Borek said the grant is in support “of our nation’s heroes,” and that it will equip GCFD firefighters “with a personal flashlight that will enhance firefighter safety.”

“The Travis Manion Foundation has committed to support the efforts of local organizations that share a spirit of service,” Borek wrote. “We are honored to support your mission.”

For more information on the foundation and the 9/11 Heroes Run, visitwww.travismanion.org.