Firefighters Fill the Boot for Injured Marine

Recently, the Ellington Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. made a presentation of $9,000 in donations raised from the fill the boot drive held Dec. 17 to benefit the Greg Caron Family Fund.

The fund supports the family of Ellington , who, while serving his second tour of duty, was injured from an IED (improvised explosive device) in Afghanistan. He was transported to Germany where the initial surgery was performed and is now recovering in Bethesda, MD.

asked passing motorists to donate to this cause during the event.

Chief Michael Varney said that they received tremendous support from Ellington and surrounding communities, as well as from neighboring fire and emergency service personnel who travelled to town that day specifically to donate to the cause. 

“The passing motorists donated what they wanted,” he said. “Some donated cash, some wrote checks, and some just emptied their change from their ashtrays into the boot.”

Varney said that the department wanted to do this because of the department’s strong commitment to the community.

“Our organization feels a strong bond with our fellow emergency service and armed service volunteers, as such we felt a need to help,” he said. “Many of our members past and current have served in the military.”

For more information regarding the Greg Caron Family Fund, see http://www.gregcaronfoundation.com/.