Mark Casteel and Dustin Jeter got here up with the thought after planning for a birthday celebration.
DENTON COUNTY, Texas — Quite a lot of children idolize firemen. But Lewisville firefighters Mark Casteel and Dustin Jeter say it’s what they do off obligation that actually will get folks’s consideration.
“You catch a lot of those head turn, like, ‘Really?’ [looks]” mentioned Jeter.
Whenever they’re not preventing fires, they’re stuffing teddy bears.
Casteel and Jeter run their cell teddy bear stuffing business, Firehouse Friends, with their wives, Elizabeth Casteel and Maranda Jeter.
Often, after a 24-hour shift on the hearth home, Casteel and Jeter are dispatched to varsities, parks and birthday events throughout North Texas.
The concept got here to Casteel final yr when his daughter requested for a teddy bear birthday celebration.
“We couldn’t get anybody to come out to our house, so we kind of saw a niche,” mentioned Casteel mentioned.
“I thought it was a great idea,” mentioned Jeter.
Partly as a result of they are saying stuffing teddy bears isn’t all that completely different than what they already do.
“We feel like we’re making an impact in our community, in our friends’ lives, in our family’s lives, pretty much anybody we go do an event for,” mentioned Casteel.
“You don’t know the everlasting impact that you’re going to make,” Jeter mentioned. “To some people, it’s a teddy bear. But to us, by the look on the child’s face and how excited they are, you truly are giving them their best friend.”
Casteel and Jeter say they love each jobs, but when compelled to decide on, they’d give up the job that’s most intimidating.
“Definitely the toddlers,” mentioned Casteel.
“Yep,” agreed Jeter.
They each say getting a child’s stuffed animal excellent is tougher than preventing fires.
Proof that those that convey pleasure to kids are undoubtedly heroes.
Firehouse Friends might be discovered on Instagram at @firehouse_friends or Facebook at @FireHouseFriends.
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