The Great Falls Fire Fighters Local 8, an affiliate of the International Association of Fire Fighters, will be spreading holiday cheer throughout the community this week.

The firefighters are providing a Christmas for 16 families in need and will deliver presents to children spending Christmas in the hospital.

The first program, known as “Paul’s Holiday Wish,” was developed in the memory of fallen firefighter Paul Erickson.

Erickson was a firefighter and paramedic in Great Falls.

Firefighter families brighten holidays for kids spending Christmas in the hospital

On Feb. 6, 2007, Erickson was killed in the Mercy Flight crash while working for Benefis Health System.

This program was developed in 2008 and the local firefighter union sponsors local families. The union dedicates a dollar amount per child in the family for essential items and gifts, plus $50 for a food basket.

Funding for the program was exhausted in 2010 and the union was unable to continue the program until 2012 when the union decided to dedicate proceeds from their pepper sales at the Christmas Stroll to the program.

This year, the Great Falls firefighters union contacted each of the elementary schools and the early learning family center in the public school system. Firefighters asked the schools to nominate a family for the program.

Local 8 has partnered with Everyday IGA to help provide the food baskets that will contain a Christmas dinner and other essential items to last them through Christmas break, according to Local 8.

Firefighters will be shopping for gifts at Target this week and begin making deliveries on Dec. 20.

On Christmas Eve, firefighters will visit the pediatric unit at Benefis.

That morning, firefighters contact the unit to find out how many children will be spending Christmas in the hospital, then they go to Target to shop for gifts. Firefighters wrap gifts at the station then deliver them to the children that evening.

Want to donate to these programs? Contact Dave Van Son, Local 8 president, at 868-2643.