COLUMBUS, Ind.–The Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety on Tuesday approved an agreement between the city and the oldest charity in Columbus. A new Columbus Fire Department training facility is being constructed at the Columbus AirPark and the Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund will now share that parcel.
The move is a major coup for Cheer Fund operations. Columbus Fire chief Mike Compton says that most years the Cheer Fund struggles until the last minute to find a space to headquarter the annual holiday toy drive. In recent years, CFD has been leasing space from the United Way of Bartholomew County. Prior to that, Compton shared that the typical annual cycle involved finding a space in October for a November start date, operate the drive until January, pack the remaining toys and supplies into a trailer, and then find a new location in October.
By adding Cheer Fund space to the airport property, the organization finds a permanent home and allows volunteers to conduct business year-round, rather than simply ramping up efforts around the holidays.