Our brave LAFD heroes face risks every day on the job. They know if something terrible happens to them, our charity will have their backs. Financially and emotionally.
When they are not out saving lives, you can sometimes catch our heroes getting in on all the fun and excitement, hosting some of the biggest charity events in the Los Angeles area.
When it is time to compete, firefighters are always ready! Now throw in some softball and golf tournaments along with off-road racing and other events involving food, family and fun; you know what you get? Camaraderie and lots of love. Watch as they go all out from the heart!
Fundraisers for LAFD Firefighters
The Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund raises millions of dollars to help Los Angeles City firefighters and their families after catastrophic accidents and/or death. Several annual charity events significantly make a difference for our firefighters and hero families in their greatest time of need.
It is your donations in action! You can support these fundraisers in several ways, whether it is volunteering, participating, donating, or sponsoring.
These are some of the annual events held by the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund, the official charity of the Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association:
- Hope for Firefighters
- LAFD Invitational Charity Golf Tournament
- Hook and Ladder Enduro
- Lane Kemper Softball Classic
- Over the Line Tournament
The Hope for Firefighters event features live music, delicious meals prepared by over 25 different fire stations throughout the city.. There are LAFD gift merchandise booths, raffle drawings, prizes, trophies and exciting Firefighter Muster games where more than twenty sponsored teams compete for trophies & prizes in everything from bucket brigade, firefighter suit-up to an old-fashioned hose pull contest. Funds are raised through sponsorship, meal ticket sales, raffle items and the sale of LAFD merchandise.
Lane Kemper Softball Classic
Hundreds of firefighters compete in the annual Lane Kemper Softball Classic. They battle it out on the field until the two best teams make it to the end. The event is named in honor of Captain Lane Kemper (1952-2006), a man who embodied the true spirit of camaraderie and devoted himself to helping others. As a tribute to him, our firefighters have come together to carry on this long-standing tradition, which raises money for the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund. Sponsors donate raffle and auction items too.
Over the Line Tournament
The Over the Line tournament pits fire stations against fire stations in a beach setting playing what is sort of like softball, but with a twist. For our L.A. firefighter charity, this assistance is only possible thanks to kind and generous donations, and money raised through the event.
Late LAFD Captain II Dave Moorman’s inspirational motto was “It’s All Good!” That inspired his fellow firefighters to live life to the fullest. Now, LAFD Dave’s positive outlook and infectious spirit live on through those who knew and loved him. In tribute to this beloved L.A. City Firefighter, his friends and colleagues honor him at the annual Over the Line Tournament. Dave died of a job-related illness in 2017, after serving on the LAFD for 28-years. He was only 50-years-old.
Hook and Ladder Enduro and Buzzard Bait Family Fun Ride
2023 was the last year of the Buzzard Bait Family Fun Ride. The end of an era of off-roading, all for a great cause. The event brought together fire department family and friends for a weekend of fun and fundraising out in the desert for the Widows, Orphans, and Disabled Firefighter’s Fund.
LAFD Captain II, Chris Stine who is also the president of the Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association, the organization that runs our charity, wants to thank everyone in the fire department family as well as non-fire department people for coming out and supporting the event. “It’s an awesome feat to do 26 years and keep it going.”
“I was told that this event brought in over $200,000 since it started. I’d like to talk a minute about what we do for our widows, our orphans, and our disabled firefighters. Sometimes it’s a widow who can’t make the ends meet because she’s living off of a pension that doesn’t pay the bills. So, we cover those bills for the rest of her life…we send out Christmas bonuses to all of our widows and all of our orphans every year. And events like this continue to allow us to do the good work that we do. But in addition to helping those families out, it’s about bringing people together and enjoying camaraderie.”
The Hook and Ladder Enduro has grown to a full-blown weekend event. It’s another off-roading race also taking place out in the Southern California desert. It’s all about fun, family and tradition. There is not only racing, but camping and barbecuing, plus lots of fun for the kids too!
LAFD Invitational Charity Golf Tournament
A huge success for the charity, the LAFD Invitational charity golf tournament brings together firefighters and their sponsors for a great day on the links. There are a wide range of sponsorship levels and an array of competitions that raise a lot of money.
Our Mission: Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund
Legendary retired LAFD Battalion Chief Steve Ruda says,” So we come alongside the widows and the families and we just don’t say, okay, we’ll be with you just for the funeral and then forget about you. You’re part of that family, that fire service family. And we stay with them for all these years. And so, the children have grown up, their needs are met by the money that was received for through donations to the organization. And we stay with the widows and we stay with them to help them through some tragic times. And that’s probably one of the greatest things about the association is that many give their time and effort to do the work, including the crews that come in. So, it’s really important for them to understand what the organization’s all about. And we’ve been around for a long, long time.”
Leaving a legacy of good will in his LAFD career, Retired Captain II Rick Godinez has done it all. He was a trustee and a member of our charity’s board.
“It wasn’t until I became a trustee that I saw the true benefits. I was working the different events, the Hope for Firefighters event, the softball tournaments, the golf tournaments. And once I became a board member and I really learned how this organization takes care of our members in the time of need, and whether it’s a death in the family, whether it’s a line of duty, death, it didn’t matter. And I believe in the organization so much that I became a trustee.”
By Charles Stewart