Jeanne Terwilliger

On Wednesday, February 5th, AARBF partnered with nine fire departments, the Fresno Fire Chiefs Foundation, the CRMC Burn unit, and the Central Valley Firefighters Credit Union for the 10th Annual Central Valley Firefighters Burn Relay. The relay traveled across the valley starting in Madera headed to Clovis, Sanger, and down into Kingsburg before heading to the Fresno County Fire Museum at the Fresno Fire Headquarters in downtown Fresno. AARBF is proud to partner with these Fire Departments who donated a total of $19,000 in support of AARBF and our burn survivor programs, such as Champ Camp. 

Thank you to CALFIRE MMU LOCAL 2881, CALFIRE FKU LOCAL 2881, Fresno Fire Local 202, Clovis Firefighters Local 1695, Sanger Firefighters Association, Selma Firefighters Association, Kingsburg Firefighters Association, Hanford Firefighters Association, Fresno Fire Chiefs Association, Coalinga Firefighters Association and a special thank you to the Central Valley Firefighters Credit Union for sponsoring the luncheon for all participating departments. 

On Thursday, February 6th, AARBFs Michael Knopf and Katrina Arthur joined CRMC Burn Unit Staff at their Burn Awareness Day on campus at Community Regional Medical Centers, Fresno. During the event, they shared burn prevention tips and educational materials with 209 visitors. Even Franco the therapy dog got in on the action, showing attendees how to Stop, Drop & Roll!  Thank you to the Burn Unit staff for inviting us to share the work and mission of the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation. 

The Young Adult Summit (YAS) was held in the stunning town of Cambria, CA, where we had the privilege of hosting twenty-five amazing young adults, February 14th – 17th. The weekend’s theme was “Light Your Own Way,” and our workshops focused on empowering our participants with valuable life skills. We covered topics like Travel 101, Communication Skills, Automotive Basics, Credit Essentials, and Public Speaking.

As a group, we enjoyed the beautiful weather, took in the sights of the Piedras Blancas Light Station, and toured the historic lighthouse and surrounding area. The group also connected with nature through oceanfront walks, building friendships while reflecting on the exciting next steps and changes in our lives.

A huge thank you to the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance for making the journey to California and joining us for such a special weekend.

A special shoutout goes to our very own Buggy and her team for hosting the incredible Etiquette Dinner year after year.

Lastly, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to our passionate volunteers: Chief, Bubbles, Dash, Kamikaze, Butterbean, Tex, Zinger, Buc, Hydra, Monkey, Shakespeare, Buggy, Stretch, Blondie, Chris, and Kika.

In addition to the Young Adult Summit, we had another incredible group of survivors join us in Cambria for our annual Adult Retreat. Since the weekend coincided with Valentine’s Day, we centered the theme around the eight different types of Greek love. We had the privilege of hosting thirty adult burn survivors, creating an opportunity for connection and empowerment. The weekend featured powerful workshops, including speed conversations to enhance communication skills, exploring the various types of relationships we navigate, shadow work, vulnerability, setting boundaries, and addressing heartbreak, grief, and loss. The group also enjoyed a trip to the beach, soaking in the beautiful weather together. Thank you to everyone who was a part of this weekend, we are already looking forward to next year.

A huge thank you to the BC Professional Fire Fighter’s Burn Fund and the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance for making the journey to California and joining us for such a special weekend.

This weekend would not have been possible without the dedication of our incredible core volunteers: Cindy, Wendy, Jill, Lea, Kevin, and Daniel. Thank you for your time and passion for our burn community.

AARBF’s Katrina Arthur joined the staff, board and members of the Central Valley Firefighters Credit Union at the 90th Member’s Dinner on February 21st. Katrina was proud to introduce the work and mission of the foundation to the members and invited them to support us at the Silent Auction which topped off the evening of dining and celebration. Our growing partnership with the CVFireCU and the generosity of its members helped to raise $1,025 for burn survivors and AARBF.  

We want to share that our Executive Director, Daniel “Apollo” Chacon, ended his long tenure as an AARBF staff member at the end of February.  While stepping away from his role, he has assured us that we will continue to see him at programs and events and he will always be a well-loved member of our Foundation Family. 

We want to thank Daniel for his energy, loyalty, passion, and commitment to the Foundation. He worked his way up in his > 11 years as an employee and has worn many “hats”, often at the same time, as well as taken a wider leadership role across the national Burn Community. He has had a tremendous impact at every level of the Foundation and added many innovative new programs and services. He is well loved by our survivors, their families, staff, and volunteers and will be deeply missed. His strengths include deep relationships across our organization. As one camper stated, “He doesn’t just know me, he knows my whole family.” 

In his time at the Foundation, we have served more than 1,000 children at Champ Camp, educated 100’s of thousands of children through our FISE programs and continued to build our reputation throughout the State, National, and International Burn Community. Daniel showcased AARBF’s Champ Camp as the gold standard of burn camps while chairing the International Association of Burn Camps. He has highlighted the healing power of recreational programs for burn survivors through research presented at the American Burn Association. And Daniel used AARBF’s FEMA grant to work alongside other burn professionals across the country to spearhead the creation of the IMPAC Tool to encourage behavior changes that implement burn prevention education.  His silly side leaves a legacy as well, the “big fish, little fish” song he brought to campfire is a Champ Camp favorite and there is no one who can do it as well. 

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff please join us in wishing Daniel the best and in thanking him for his unwavering commitment to our success.  

Ps.  Watch for leadership announcements to come soon. 

January 8th-13th, Ducky and Hydra had the incredible opportunity to represent AARBF at the Thrive Retreat, hosted by the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund. This event brought together young adults for workshops designed to equip them with valuable skills and insights to navigate young adulthood. In addition to the learning experiences, they enjoyed a range of fun winter activities, including attending a hockey game, snowboarding, skiing, snowshoeing, tubing, and more. We thank the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund for inviting us and creating such a memorable experience. Here is what Ducky and Hydra had to share:

“Being able to go to a different country was a blessing. I never would’ve thought I would be able to go to Canada. My favorite part would be meeting new people from a different country and experiencing my first hockey game as well as for snow tubing.” – Ducky

“The most magical thing about the burn community is that whether you’re in your hometown or in a completely new country, there are people who accept you wholeheartedly. And when that kind of love is present, it provides healing you didn’t know you needed. I’m so thankful for every single person I met at Thrive and for the experience of a lifetime.” – Hydra

January 18th-20th, our incredible Champ Camp program team came together on the beautiful Central Coast to kick off preparations for Champ Camp 2025. Under the guidance of our amazing camp co-directors Rocks and Willow, the weekend was filled with brainstorming and planning, all with one goal in mind; making camp the best part of our summer.

Rocks and Willow were joined by our dedicated program staff: Zinger, Dash, Chaos, Tex, Kamikaze, Kika, Apollo, Jack Rabbit, Shakespeare, Jersey, Spaz, Pookie, and Knuckles. These amazing individuals pour their time, energy, and passion into making camp not just fun, but safe and life-changing for everyone who takes part.

Watch our social media for announcements on this year’s theme and how you can help make the dream of attending camp a reality for burn survivor youth throughout California.

Last month, we introduced our sticker of the month for 2025. When you receive your stickers, please be sure to show it off on social media, tagging @aarbf, and use the hashtags #aarbf #shareyoursticker.

Reminder – you can earn your sticker by volunteering or donating $100 or more within the given month (one sticker per person). Each month will have an exclusive design, representing our appreciation, or highlighting one of our programs or services.