Logan Hullinger
Chattanooga Times Free Press, Tenn.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Chattanooga Fire Department is set to receive a $50,000 donation — one that all comes in the form of coffee.
The city council Tuesday evening unanimously approved the donation from Tchibo, a European company establishing itself in the U.S that reached out to the fire department to help firefighters in the form of caffeine.
“It’s not a normal occurrence,” said fire department spokesperson Lindsey Rogers. “We have 20 different fire halls and firefighters who enjoy that kind of fuel for their 24-hour shifts.”
The donation entails 5,000 bags of coffee for the city’s firefighters.
“I think it shows the appreciation for what these men and women do,” said city council chair Chip Henderson. “When someone does something special for the fire department, it’s always appreciated.”
Tchibo began to make its footprint in the U.S. in the Midwest last fall and is now moving into the South as well, said spokesperson Sabrina Christiansen.
The company has donated coffee to about 10 departments in the nation.
“We had an excess supply of coffee at the end of the year,” Christiansen said. “We just wanted it to go to a cause and we couldn’t think of a better cause than firefighters and first responders.”
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