B.C. Burn Fund’s festive fundraiser returns to its roots for upcoming holiday season

A cherished holiday fundraiser held annually by the British Columbia Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund – drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors while raising millions of dollars for an important cause – is returning to its original home.
 
This year, after a successful 27-year run in Vancouver’s Stanley Park, Bright Nights is returning to its roots in nearby Surrey, where it will continue raising funds for the Burn Fund Centre and other support programs for burn survivors and their families. The Burn Fund is the charitable arm of the British Columbia Professional Fire Fighters Association (BCPFFA).

Held from late November to late December, Bright Nights dazzles visitors with holiday-themed displays lit by up to three million coloured lights. The event, which is set up and staffed by IAFF members from across the province, has become a holiday favourite for families across B.C.’s Lower Mainland and beyond.
 
The tradition began in the mid-1980s when Surrey residents Bob Wingfield and Marg Barrett set up a light display at their home, with assistance from Surrey Local 1271 fire fighters. The funds raised supported burn survivors at Vancouver General Hospital. The lights were acquired by the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund in 1997, and the Bright Nights fundraiser was launched in earnest.
 
This year, Bright Nights is moving back to where it began, joining Nöel Surrey, a popular holiday festival and market held at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds.

BCPFFA President Todd Schierling, who also serves as Burn Fund president, said the association’s dedication to Bright Nights and the Burn Fund reflects a duty of care they have upheld for burn survivors in B.C. and the Yukon since 1978. He noted that the BCPFFA and its members are proud to support the burn units at two Vancouver hospitals and to provide resources that allow burn survivors and their families not just to survive, but to thrive.
 
“We understand that recovery is a marathon, not a sprint,” said Schierling. “That’s why the Burn Fund and its programs – such as our Home Away accommodations, survivor camps, and healing retreats – are so essential.”
 
Located in Vancouver, the Burn Fund Centre provides a “Home Away” for burn survivors and their families. It features eight short-term suites, a communal kitchen, a living area and a patio. The facility allows guests to focus on their recovery and connect with others rather than the logistics of their stay.  Each year, the Centre has approximately 300 unique bookings, providing thousands of room nights to those in need.

Other services provided to burn survivors and their families include the Little Lionhearts family retreat, Burn Camp, a winter retreat for young adult burn survivors, adult survivor programs and bursaries for burn survivors aged 17 and older.

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke welcomed Bright Nights back to the city at a Sept. 17 press conference, surrounded by BCPFFA leaders, including Schierling and Surrey Local 1271 President Saverio Lattanzio.
 
“On behalf of the members of Local 1271, we extend a warm welcome to Bright Nights in Surrey,” Lattanzio said. “We take great pride in our community and in our longstanding support of the BCPFF Burn Fund. The chance to raise funds for such a meaningful cause while celebrating the holiday season is something we truly value.”
 
For more information about this year’s Bright Nights, click here.