South Buffalo Township firefighters hope to break some records later this month in support of a young girl with a rare form of epilepsy.
The volunteer department’s third annual benefit tractor pull is scheduled for Oct. 16.
This year’s fundraiser is for Taylor Roles, 12, a sixth grader at Freeport Area Middle School.
Taylor was diagnosed last year with a rare form of epilepsy known as febrile infection related epilepsy, or FIRES. It’s so rare that it affects about one in 1 million children, according to the Epilepsy Foundation.
On July 23, Taylor developed a fever. The next day, she began having seizures and was taken by ambulance to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
The next day, she was put in a medically induced coma.
Taylor underwent two brain operations while she was in a coma. She was on palliative care, and doctors began preparing her family for the worst scenarios.
However, Taylor eventually would wake up and move on to go through months of rehabilitation.
Her severe epilepsy remains.
Erin Pflueger, South Buffalo EMT and event coordinator, said they hope to raise as much money as possible for Taylor.
“It’s looking good,” Pflueger said. “The response so far has been great. There’s something different all day long. There’s something for everybody.”
The inaugural truck pull event in 2019 netted a little less than $30,000 for the family of Ella Conroy, a young township girl battling cancer.
Last year’s event, which was in memory of the late Kevin Haas, raised about $46,000 for his daughter, Mackenzie. Haas, a friend of the fire department and the one who spearheaded the return of tractor pulls, died in May.
Planning for this month’s event began last October, shortly after the 2020 truck pull.
Pflueger said she received 14 nominations for beneficiaries. The fire department and event committee reviewed the applications and chose Taylor for several reasons. One factor was being a resident.
“We like to keep it local, but that was not a requirement,” Pflueger said. “Her family has moved to be closer to the hospital. She is an absolutely amazing girl. If we raise anything, it’s still a success.”
In 2019, Taylor joined her youth cheerleading squad to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the fire department’s first benefit tractor pull.
Taylor’s mother, Kimberly Roles, spoke with the Tribune-Review earlier this year while the department was still seeking sponsors and volunteers for the event.
Having the community rally behind her with this benefit event means a lot to the family, Roles said. It not only helps alleviate financial concerns, but she said it reminds the Roles family they aren’t alone.
“The community support is something that was unexpected to us. It was endearing. It was humbling. It definitely warmed our hearts,” she said. “It had Taylor very excited to be famous. She’s very excited about it.”
Oct. 16 is also special date for the family. It was on that day last year when Taylor woke up from the medically induced coma.
Pflueger said she is working on something special for the family to mark their one-year anniversary.
Sewickley-based Adams Petroleum Products is one of the major event sponsors.
Owner Mike Adams of Emsworth said truck pulling is one of his hobbies, and he plans to drive a semi-truck at the event.
“It’s competitive,” he said. “We’ve got trucks coming from everywhere.”
Adams, an Emsworth firefighter and friend of Haas, has been involved in truck pulls at fairs and farm shows in Ohio, West Virginia and other places.
He said there are not many local opportunities to pull like the upcoming contest at South Buffalo. Adams commended the fire department for hosting one for charity.
“It’s great community involvement,” he said. “They do a good job of choosing a donor for it and make it a little more special.”
Volunteers are still needed for the event. Call Erin Pflueger at 724-599-4563 for more information.