BBQGuys is proud to assist the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office in building a permanent home for the “Spirit of Louisiana” firetruck, which has become a monument to those who served in some of America’s worst tragedies.

To help build the replica firehouse where the “Spirit of Louisiana” will be stationed, BBQGuys has donated $10,000 in honor of the firetruck that first aided the people of New York City following 9/11. The “Spirit of Louisiana” recently visited BBQGuys headquarters, where CEO Mike Hackley expressed his passion for the project and why it means so much to him.

(The ‘Spirit of Louisiana’) is a hero, Hackley said. It helped a lot of people, just like the people driving it. Now it’s time to find a home for it. […] It’s time that we tell the story and how it helped people outside Louisiana, but then it came back to help Louisianans.

In the months after 9/11, Louisiana citizens raised money to build and donate a firetruck to the New York City Fire Department as a replacement for one of the many lost in the terror attacks. When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast four years later, the “Spirit of Louisiana” returned home as the lead vehicle in a delegation of New York firefighters sent to provide relief to New Orleans.

The firetruck briefly returned to New York in 2012 following Hurricane Sandy, but it’s now set to become a lasting tribute to both the heart of Louisiana citizens and the courage of those who served in both the New York and Louisiana Fire Departments.

The Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office plans to use the “Spirit of Louisiana” and its new home as a museum so future generations can learn about the tragedies the firetruck has lived through. This educational tool will be located next to the Louisiana Fallen Firefighter’s Memorial in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Hackley hopes others will donate to the “Spirit of Louisiana” fundraiser to help preserve this important piece of our nation’s history.