Middlesboro Lodge No. 119 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks recently made their annual donation of $250 to the Middlesboro Fire Department to help them with their School Fire Prevention Program, also known as the “Fire Pup Program.”

Each year Middlesboro firefighters distribute manuals, badges, posters and many other materials to pre-K through fifth grade children in all Middlesboro schools and daycares.

These materials are then covered in the classrooms by their teachers. The materials make learning fun as the children play games and do puzzles while learning how to prevent fires and what to do in case of fire.

Afterwards, the children take the materials home and their parents also learn from them. No doubt many lives have been saved and many fires prevented because of this program which the fire department conducts annually in cooperation with the National Fire Safety Council.

Each year about 11,000 pieces of materials are distributed to over 2,500 children in Middlesboro at a cost of about $6,000. The Elks donation provides for materials for about 100 of these children. The Elks are always glad to join the approximate 50 other organizations, businesses and individuals in the Middlesboro area in helping the firefighters with this program.