Crime & Safety
Fundraiser for Lambs Terrace Firefighter Saturday
The event is as much about raising Jeff Loftus' spirits as it is about raising money, a fellow firefighter said.
Jeff Loftus has been a volunteer firefighter at Lambs Terrace Fire Co. since he was a teenager.
He was known to spend three, four nights a week at the fire station, waiting to help out his brothers on a call—waiting to help out those in need.
Then he got sick.
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While it's unlikely he will ever be able to fight fires from the inside again after his right lung was removed following the discovery of a tumor in early April, Loftus will always be one of the guys at the Sicklerville Road fire station.
This Saturday, the rest of the guys are throwing a beef-and-beer fundraiser to help support Loftus. The event will be held at the Lindenwold Fire Co. No. 2 fire hall, located at 801 Scott Ave., Lindenwold, beginning at 3 p.m.
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But the beef-and-beer is not just about financial support. In fact, according to one organizer, raising money is not the primary objective.
"Like I said last night to the guys...this isn't going to generate thousands of dollars for Jeff. It's more of a morale booster for Jeff—the support of all the members and his family and everything like that," Erial firefighter Steve Schwegel said on Tuesday.
Career firefighters for Gloucester Township Fire District No. 5 (Lambs Terrace) and No. 6 (Erial) alternate days between the Erial and Lambs Terrace stations— both located in the township's south end—so Schwegel has come to know Loftus in recent years.
Loftus is still undergoing follow-up treatments, but has returned to the fire station to help out where he can since the April surgery that left him with one lung.
"He's been back around. He's been around the firehouse now, you know. He's looking good. I know he's been on the trucks," Schwegel said.
The beef-and-beer fundraiser will feature a DJ, Chinese auction and 50/50 raffle.
Advance tickets to the beef-and-beer are being sold for $25 per person and $45 per couple. To purchase tickets, contact Schwegel at 856-297-6263 or Jason Flinn at 609-868-4884.
Tickets will cost $30 per person at the door. The public is invited to attend.
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