The Westland Fire Administration Public Awareness Committee recently held its inaugural Flash Fire $10,000 Giveaway.

The fundraiser is a reverse raffle with the owner of the final ticket drawn winning $10,000. This year the final two contestants decided to split the purse, each walking away with $5,000. The organization raised $14,500 for their efforts, all of which will be put back into the community.

With the holiday season now in full swing, the Public Awareness Committee has already started putting some of the donations to work. In a joint effort, the organization teamed with the Westland Police Department and the Wayne Ford Civic League, to purchase and install a wheelchair lift for a Westland veteran.

The charity also purchased new soccer nets for the kids at St. Matthew Lutheran School. Purchasing the nets was not enough, however, as firefighters helped break in the new equipment. The students challenged the fire department to a match, winning 2-1 in a game-deciding shoot out.

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The Westland Fire Administration Public Awareness Committee would also like to remind residents that cooking is the number one cause of home fires, so everyone needs to stand by their pan.