Help restore a historic Lakewood firehouse for burn survivors. Donate Today!
Help Us Restore a Historic Lakewood Firehouse for Burn Survivors
Watch the WKYC video on the history of the firehouse and our restoration plan
They Survived the Fire. Now They Deserve a Home.
For nearly four decades, Aluminum Cans for Burned Children has been showing up for pediatric burn survivors — funding camps and building the kind of community these kids can't find anywhere else. All of it powered by aluminum cans and the generosity of Northeast Ohio.
Now, ACBC has the chance to do something that will change everything: purchase and restore the historic Lakewood Engine House No. 3 as a permanent home — a sanctuary where burn survivors can gather year-round for events, activities, meetings, and moments of connection that go far beyond a summer camp.
But the building needs restoration before it can open its doors. And that's where you come in.
Help Restore the Firehouse
Your Gift Does Three Good Things at Once
When you donate to the restoration of Engine House No. 3, the impact ripples outward — for the children we serve, for the organization behind them, and for a piece of Lakewood history worth saving.
For the Kids
Pediatric burn survivors need more than medical care — they need to belong. A permanent headquarters means year-round programming, safe spaces to connect with peers who truly understand, and a home base that says: you matter, and we're not going anywhere.
For the Organization
For the first time in ACBC's nearly 40-year history, the organization will have a permanent headquarters — a stable foundation to grow programs, deepen community partnerships, and serve even more survivors across Northeast Ohio.
For the Community
Engine House No. 3 has served this community since 1927. Your gift helps preserve a piece of Lakewood's history — restoring its character and giving it a new purpose as meaningful as its first.
A Station with a Century of Stories
Engine House No. 3 has stood at 1422 Hopkins Avenue in Lakewood since 1927 — built to answer alarms, house firefighters, and protect the community through decades of change. It served the Lakewood Fire Department until the mid-1970s, when a newer station on Clifton Boulevard took over its duties. But the building never lost its character, and it never lost its connection to the people who served there.
When a fire broke out in the building in 2025, it left behind extensive damage — six 40-yard dumpsters' worth. The entire second floor had to be gutted: hardwood floors, plaster walls, plumbing, and electrical systems all gone. What might have marked the end of another historic structure instead became an unexpected turning point.
Out of those ashes, ACBC saw an opportunity. The same organization founded by Cleveland firefighters nearly four decades ago — people who know what it means to run toward fire — stepped forward to acquire the building and give it a new mission: a permanent home and sanctuary for the children who survived one.
Today, Lakewood firefighters are volunteering their time to restore the very kind of place their predecessors once called their own. As firefighter-paramedic Adam Bartinelli put it: "The building has always been about us up until this point. It's great to connect it to a bigger cause and to put ourselves aside and see something bigger come out of it in the end."
When the restoration is complete, Engine House No. 3 will be more than a headquarters — it will be a gathering place where burn survivors meet, heal, celebrate, and find each other. A station that once answered the call of fire will answer a different call now: the call to show up for kids who need it most.
Watch the Transformation Unfold
The restoration of Engine House No. 3 is a labor of love — and we want you to see every step. Follow along as Lakewood firefighters, ACBC volunteers, and community members work side by side to bring this historic building back to life and make it a home for the kids who need it most.
Be Part of the Restoration
Engine House No. 3 will be ACBC's permanent home — a place for pediatric burn survivors to gather, connect, and heal all year long. We need your support to make it happen.
