RICHMOND, Va. — A Richmond fire lieutenant battling ALS is receiving overwhelming support from his colleagues and community through a unique fundraising effort involving sports memorabilia.
Lt. Kevin Harrison, who served the Richmond Fire Department for 17 years, was recently diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. The disease has affected his mobility and ability to speak, but his fellow firefighters have stepped up to help him and his five children.
Lt. Michael Anderson organized a sports card raffle at Graybo's Collectible Sports Cards in Richmond, featuring signed cards, baseball jerseys and other memorabilia. Some items came from Anderson's personal collection, while others were donated by local Major League Baseball stars like Reed Garrett.
The fundraiser exceeded expectations, raising $6,000 for Harrison's family.
"I'm really happy with it. I'm very thankful for everybody that participated," Anderson said. "People not only bought tickets, but also made donations out of the kindness of their hearts which is huge… the more the merrier."
Harrison, who now communicates through a tablet, expressed his gratitude for the support.
"I appreciate you fighting this fight with me," Harrison said. "I'm honored and have never received recognition like this."
The generosity continued even after the raffle ended. Brad Hughes from the Faces of Heroes organization presented an additional $500 donation to Harrison's family.
"Five hundred dollars to him and his family just to say thank you for everything you have done," Hughes said. "And we continually hope that you are able to bounce back from this with a swift and kind movement."
"This is paramount and beyond belief. I can't thank you enough. I'm humble," Harrison said.
Anderson emphasized why supporting Harrison matters to the entire fire department community.
"He put himself out there and sacrificed his time with his family for 17 years… that's money in the bank and now he needs to be able to make a withdrawal," Anderson said. "I'm asking people to help him and put money back in his coffers because he needs it and his family needs it."
Despite his diagnosis, Anderson said Harrison maintains a positive attitude and continues fighting the disease.
A separate online fundraiser for Harrison is approaching its $50,000 goal. Click here to donate.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
