BILLINGS — Billings firefighters traded in their uniforms for pickleball paddles Sunday.
The Billings Fire Department hosted its first pickleball fundraiser from June 20-22 at Lillis Park in Billings.
Watch full video of firefighters playing pickleball for a cause below:
The camaraderie among the firefighters was palpable as they came together to support a good cause.
The event was not just about competition, it was an opportunity to give back to the community.
Ben Jares, president of the Billings Firefighters Benevolent Fund, expressed his enthusiasm as he watched the community come together.
“It's awesome to see some of the younger firefighters stepping up and filling the roles and doing the work to raise money to help people,” Jares said Sunday.
The fundraiser served as a platform for firefighters to engage with the community and raise awareness for their mission.
Ashley Swassing, a Billings firefighter, emphasized the importance of visibility.
“Something that gets us involved with the community and gets our faces out there as well,” Swassing said.
For more than two decades the Billings Fire Department has raised money for their benevolent fund.
The fund helps families displaced from their homes due to a fire, emergency medical costs, and other causes around the Billings community.
“We know that anything, no matter how small, will help with covering that for them,” Swassing said.
The pickleball fundraiser proved to be a success, raising over a thousand dollars for the cause.
“It goes back into the community,” Swassing said, reinforcing the department’s commitment to helping those in need.
