July 28 turned into a very tragic day in Asheville. A four-alarm fire at 445 Biltmore Avenue, a medical office building located between the two Mission Hospital campuses, turned deadly when 37-year-old Captain Jeff Bowen, a 13-year veteran of the Asheville Fire Department perished as a result of the fire. Ten other area firefighters were treated for burns, heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation in the Mission emergency department over the course of the blaze.

Mission Health System, in cooperation with the Asheville Fire Department, has created a Fallen Firefighter Fund to assist the family of Capt. Bowen and other families of firefighters who suffered injuries in the July 28 fire. The Health System will match, dollar for dollar, all contributions up to a total of $10,000. For example if you contribute $50 it will be matched by Mission with $50 so the fund will receive $100.

There will be no administrative charges connected with this fund. Your entire contribution will go to the families. The Asheville Fire Department will distribute the funds. Mission Health System and Foundation will not have any role in those decisions. The Foundation is handling all accounting for the Fallen Firefighter Fund and will issue receipts since your contributions are tax-deductible. When the last funds are paid out of this Fund, the Foundation will make available a full listing of all the payments made from the fund to any donor who wishes to view the usage of the funds.Read the full article

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