Philadelphia students write heartfelt thank you notes to Los Angeles firefighters
The wildfires in Los Angeles, California, may be thousands of miles from Philadelphia, but the disaster hit close to the hearts of elementary students in Northeast Philadelphia.
When students at Franklin Towne Elementary learned of the heroic efforts of the L.A. Fire Department battling the catastrophic wildfires, they felt inspired to share their appreciation by hand-writing letters packed with admiration and curiosity.
"Thank you for saving people in California," one student wrote. "You are kind, helpful, and you are a hero."
"How tall are the ladders?" another asked.
Members of the Philadelphia Fire Department visited the classroom on Wednesday to help the little ones prepare the heartwarming letters for mailing.
The letters will be sent to the chief of police of the Huntington Beach Fire Department in Los Angeles County, who said he personally will give them to the firefighters on the frontlines.
"Your act of kindness and sympathy will hopefully comfort the people affected," one of the Philly firefighters said.
While the project taught students a bit about geography and natural disasters, teacher Holly Greene said it was truly a lesson of compassion.
"I had them look at the map and the proximity of where we are and where the fires are happening," Greene said. "And I explained that it's really important, even though we think we can't do much to help, we still say thank you. We help where we can."