Last Friday, Haddon Primary School pupils had a crazy hair day to raise money for an end-of-term ice cream party and its youngest classes visited the Haddon CFA station over the road from school.
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Less than two hours later the same firefighters who showed the excited youngsters over the fire trucks were battling the Bunkers Hill inferno which ignited about 3km from school.
Many families evacuated as the northerly wind fanned the blaze, which destroyed one home, damaged others and consumed sheds, paddocks and livestock.
On Monday, Haddon's junior school council decided the $250 they raised from the crazy hair day would be better off donated to the CFA than buying icecreams and sandpit toys.
The JSC took their idea to the classrooms and the school's 260 pupils agreed.
On Friday, a week after the fires, members of Haddon CFA visited the school to receive the donation, telling pupils it would be spent on buying dash cams for their firetrucks.
The generosity of the $250 donation from the children was more than matched when the school put out a call through the school and wider community for anyone else who would like to donate. In the end, $700 was raised with some pupils even bringing in extra donations straight from their piggy banks.
"The fire was very frightening and many of our families were evacuated ... we were just lucky the wind didn't blow this way," said principal Maryanne Moody.
"On the Monday morning one of the year six students was chatting with me about the weekend and that we should do something for the CFA ... then we decided we would donate the money we raised on the Friday and forego our ice creams and other purchases."
Haddon CFA captain Graeme Morris has grandchildren at the school, and many of the school families are also involved in local CFA brigades.
Ms Moody said the donation showed the community spirit evident not just in the school but around the whole town which has been quick to step up and offer support to fire victims.
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