An afternoon on the golf course is a great way to relax, but it’s even more satisfying when those hours on the green support a worthy cause. That’s what makes the annual Philadelphia Firefighters Local 22 Golf Outing with the Temple Burn Center so popular. All proceeds go to the Burn Foundation, a local nonprofit that supports regional burn centers, provides fire prevention and burn injury education, and advocates for burn survivors and their families—and at this year’s outing on October 20th, we were proud to raise $26,000.
“We’ve been co-sponsoring the Golf Outing for the last three years,” says Melissa Loughran, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Director of Nursing Services & Burn Operations at the Temple Burn Center. “Ever since we’ve started working with the Local 22 Firefighters, the event sells out in just a few months. We had 140 golfers this year alone.”
Those golfers included employees from across Temple Health, including the Respiratory team, the Blunt Force Trauma Unit, and the Burn Center. “It’s wonderful to have so many departments come together for this great cause,” Loughran says.
In so doing, participants also support Temple Health patients, as the Burn Foundation contributes to many of Burn Center initiatives. “The Burn Foundation helps fund our food insecurity program, community reintegration program, and accessibility programs,” Loughran explains. “They also provide support to obtain compression garments, which assist with scar management for some of our patient population.”
The Golf Outing has also strengthened our essential relationship with the Philadelphia Fire Department. “As the city’s leading Burn Center, working closely with them is very important,” Loughran says. “We also have a reciprocal relationship with the Fire Marshall’s office. They attend our outings to provide support, and we offer fire prevention and education and examine the root causes of fires in Philadelphia.”
All of this makes the Golf Outing critically important—in addition to a lot of fun. “We’ve already scheduled the following year’s event,” Loughran laughs. “Mark your calendars for next October.”
