BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – When Anthony Sims worked as a firefighter in Illinois, his department supported a small non-profit called Project Fire Buddies. The organization helped children diagnosed with critical illnesses, and Sims identified with the Project Fire Buddies mission on a personal level.

“Basically, it’s helping the families and the kids get through this,” he said. “Without going into detail, my cousin had passed away at a young age, so when I started working with this organization in Illinois, I said, ‘I want to keep doing this.’”

Project Fire Buddies started out small, with a few chapters in fire departments across Illinois, Indiana, and other northern states. When Sims left Illinois to join Brentwood Fire and Rescue, he learned that Project Fire Buddies didn’t have a single chapter in Tennessee. He quickly went to work to change that.

“When I came here, I decided this is going to be my project,” he said.

He pitched the idea to Brentwood Fire Chief Brian Goss, and earlier this year, the City’s Fire and Rescue Department launched the state’s first Project Fire Buddies Chapter. According to the organization’s website, “Project Fire Buddies brings joy to kids struggling with critical illnesses. We believe that no child should fight these battles alone. Our chapters focus on building relationships with their fire buddies.

“Members of PFB visit Fire Buddies in their homes, often arriving in a parade of fire vehicles with lights blazing and sirens blaring,” the website continued. “They bring gifts for birthdays and holidays, play games, provide tickets to concerts and special events, and attend important events in the children’s lives. Fire Buddies even visit the firehouse on occasion for dinner with the crew, for tours of the station and to see the rigs.”

In this first year, the Brentwood Chapter is focused on fundraising and letting the community know the organization exists. As part of those efforts, the chapter will host a dodgeball tournament fundraiser from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on June 8 at the Brentwood Family YMCA. The registration is $150 a team, with a minimum of eight players on a team, and players must be at least 14 years old. All proceeds will go toward supporting the Project Fire Buddies mission.

To register for the tournament, visit this link. For information on Brentwood’s Project Fire Buddies Chapter, visit  https://www.projectfirebuddies.org/brentwood.