WILMINGTON — For most sports teams, practice is usually not very memorable.
At St. Ann Parish, the cross country team has one night that makes it unforgettable. That event is an annual walk down the street to Wilmington Fire Department Station 5, where the boys and girls deliver snacks and drinks to the firefighters who call the station home.
The team has done this for several years. The station is located just a few blocks from St. Ann School, and the school has a connection with a deceased member of the department.
Capt. Chris Leach, a parent of several St. Ann’s students, was one of three Wilmington firefighters who perished in a fire Sept. 24, 2016.
Leach, 41, who was promoted from lieutenant posthumously, and senior firefighter Jerry Fickes were killed after getting trapped in the basement of the home near Canby Park. A third member of the department, Ardy Hope, died Dec. 1, 2016, from injuries suffered in the blaze. She was the mother of two St. Elizabeth High School students.
Leach was a friend of St. Ann’s cross country coach Brian Klous. Leach was an “incredible parent/supporter of St. Ann’s track and cross country, so this night is really special to us,” Klous said in an email to his team.
In fact, one of Leach’s children ran in a meet for St. Ann the day before the fire, Klous told the team before they left the parish for the walk down Gilpin Street. This year, the anniversary of the fire was particularly difficult, he added. On Sept. 24, during a memorial walk, the 3-year-old son of a Wilmington firefighter was killed when he was struck by a vehicle being driven by an off-duty firefighter who was parking for the event, according to police. Still, the members of Station 5 wanted the St. Ann team to continue with their visit, Klous said.
Team members, coaches and a few parents pulled wagons filled with goodies to the station, where about 10 firefighters waited. Molly Klous, a seventh-grader at St. Ann School and the coach’s daughter, said she enjoys the yearly visit.
“It’s a really good opportunity to show the firefighters that we care about them and to give back to them because they do a lot of good for us,” Molly said.
“It’s really cool because they’re always so nice about it, and sometimes they take us on a tour of the station.”
Fifth-graders Olive Camp and Leo Wheeler also have made the trip before, and they were excited as the group made its way down Gilpin Street.
“It’s nice for our community to help our firefighters. I like seeing them, and I like going on the trucks,” Olive said.
Leo said he’s not sure firefighting is for him, but he appreciates what those men and women do. And he likes their equipment.
“Last time, I got to go in the firetruck, and it was super fun. It was cool,” he said. “We got to learn about the station.”
The cross country team received VIP treatment at the station. They were able to tour the building and sit in the firetrucks for photos. Before that, they heard from a few of the firemen on hand thanking them for their generosity.
