Excerpts from patch.com: Volunteers from dozens of suburban fire departments joined the Lights and Ladders Brigade, in partnership with Project Fire Buddies, to transform the Lockport home of 15-year-old Vinnie Gincauskas, who is currently fighting a rare form of cancer. The team arrived with holiday spirit, set up some festive music, and immediately got to work on decorating the house. Vinnie was diagnosed with DSRCT—desmoplastic small round cell tumors—in March. This rare type of soft tissue sarcoma affects connective tissues and can be particularly aggressive. He recently underwent surgery to remove nearly 100 tumors from his abdomen, following an earlier operation that removed more tumors and a lymph node from his chest. Despite the challenges, Vinnie has remained strong and positive throughout his treatment. Project Fire Buddies, a nonprofit initiative started in 2016 by local fire departments, has become a powerful source of hope for children facing serious illnesses. The group now includes 30 departments across the south suburbs, including Oak Lawn, Palos, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Lockport, and many others. Their mission is simple but meaningful: to bring joy and support to families during difficult times. Vinnie expressed deep gratitude for the effort. “Thank you so much for doing this for me and my family—it really means a lot,†he said, highlighting the emotional impact of the gesture. This particular event was the second stop on a five-house tour for the brigade on Wednesday. In total, the group decorated 13 homes this year. Fire departments from across the region participated, including Oak Lawn, Chicago, Posen, Flossmor, Country Club Hills, Lockport, Orland Park, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Tinley Park, Aurora, Chicago Heights, Cicero, Manhattan, New Lenox, Frankfort, and McHenry Township. Project Fire Buddies partnered with the Lights and Ladders Brigade, which is part of the Finley Forever Foundation. This collaborative effort brings together multiple organizations—including the Tom Hopkins Foundation, Christmas without Cancer, and Finley Forever—to spread holiday cheer and financial support to families battling cancer. All decorations used are donated and remain with the families, providing a lasting memory of the kindness shown to them. Some photos of their beautiful work: House decorated by firefighters with Project Fire Buddies House decorated by firefighters with Project Fire Buddies Zhoushan Batten Machinery Technology Co.,Ltd is professional China Products Manufacturers and Products Suppliers,is
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