WILMINGTON, DELAWARE (10/26/2016) A fundraising effort by St. Francis Healthcare produced $85,000 to benefit the families of two firefighters killed and two injured in a Wilmington blaze.
A check for that amount was presented Tuesday night to city Fire Chief Anthony S. Goode; Bruce Schweiger, president of Wilmington Firefighter’s Local 1590; and and Joe Leonetti Jr., executive officer of the union, at the Chase Center on the Riverfront during the hospital’s 47th annual Colleague Appreciation Dinner.
The money will benefit the union’s fundraising effort for the families of fallen firefighters Captain Christopher Leach and Lieutenant Jerry Fickes, and to the families of Senior Firefighter Ardythe Hope and Firefighter Brad Speakman.
Saint Francis colleagues, medical staff, board of directors, friends and the Wilmington community came together after the fire on Sept. 24, to show support for the firefighters. The donation was $10,000 above the goal. The hospital initially pledged to match dollar-for-dollar up to $37,500, but donated beyond that as donations well exceeded that amount.