The 15th annual Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation North Bay "burn relay" began at 8 a.m. at the Healdsburg Fire Department. It ends at the Southern Marin County Fire Department station in Sausalito at 5:30 p.m.
Along the way, firefighters will collect donations raised by fire and public safety agencies through annual golf tournaments, pancake breakfasts, spaghetti dinners and other events.
The Alisa Ann Ruch Foundation is a California nonprofit dedicated to preventing burn injuries and fires, and providing services to burn victims.
Alisa Ann Ruch was died at age 8 in 1970 when she was burned during a backyard barbecue accident in Southern California.
The Foundation was formed in 1971 to prevent burns, including by teaching stop, drop and roll techniques. It continues to support burn prevention education programs.
It has offices in San Francisco, Fresno and Burbank, and runs a weeklong summer camp for California burn survivors ages 5-16; a weekend summit for burn survivors 16-20 every February; and a three-day retreat at Camp Oakhurst in the Sierra foothills for burn victims and their families.
