In another show of support and solidarity for the three injured Hall County firefighters, the county's fire services will be hosting a cookout Saturday to benefit the firefighters' relief fund.
Will Griffin, Stephen Jackson and TJ Elliott, now dubbed the "Tower Trio," fell 44 feet in a ladder truck training exercise, leading to surgeries and rehabilitation. Residents and other groups have donated to a Hall County Community Credit Union fund in their names. Donations are at almost $24,000 as of Wednesday evening. The families affected by the incident have withdrawn some of the fund, but the total keeps growing.
Lanier Village Estates, a retirement community in North Hall, raised more than $10,000 in a boot fundraiser. Around $7,000 of the collected funds is already in the bank, Augie DeAugustinis said, with $3,000 more to be donated within the next week.
As a high-rise retirement community, Lanier Village Estates pushed heavily for the purchase of a ladder truck to serve North Hall, DeAugustinis said.
