Visit www.DennisAllenProject.com to donate online.

Chief Dennis Allen has been an active member of the Evans Center Volunteer Fire Company for almost 40 years, having served as a fire department officer for more than 30 years of his firefighting and EMS career.

This fire service leader has devoted his entire life to serving his community. After 36+ years of unselfish dedication to the fire department and the Town of Evans community, Dennis retired as an active firefighter in February 2008 due to being stricken with the deadly disease: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Dennis just received a double lung transplant at the Cleveland Clinic on July 2, 2008. The procedure required the couple to relocate to the Cleveland area since the surgery.

This event is dedicated to honoring Dennis and to promoting the efforts of his brother firefighters, friends and family in raising funds to offset the overwhelming medical and living expenses that are created by this illness and the surgery that saved his life.

As part of the large fundraising effort the benefit will feature a live auction of firefighter art and memorabilia. The live auction will kick off at 5pm.

Highlights of the auction will include two hand-made quilts created with fire themed t-shirts and patches from fire departments across the country. Each quilt is more than 7ft. x 7ft. and would make a great keepsake for any first responder.

Other auction items include more than a dozen fire helmets and full size fire hydrants custom painted by local artists and body shops. Artwork from famous fire artists such as Allan Albaitis and signed posters from Firehouse.com cartoonist Paul Combs will accompany lots of collectibles donated by firefighters from across the area.

Admission to the benefit is $20 and first responders are offered $5 in free theme basket auction tickets if they arrive in uniform to show their support for Chief Allen. The benefit will offer theme basket, 50/50 and large ticket item raffles as well as food and music.

Visit www.dennisallenproject.com or call Tiger Schmittendorf at 716-549-0022 or tiger5@firehousezone.com for more info or to donate auction items. Auction item donations will gratiously be accepted through Friday-September 5th.