The Night of Celebration Celebrated the Firefighter of the Year and Commemorated the Accomplishments of Four Arizonans
The 25th Annual Behind the Flames Scottsdale Firefighter Charities Dinner was held on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, and set a record for the most amount of money raised at the event with nearly $104,755 in charitable contributions.
The non-profit organization is staffed by firefighters from local 5050, and all of the donations goes towards local programs and people in need. Held at STK in Scottsdale, the evening was emceed by Jim Sharpe, host of KTAR’s Arizona’s Morning News. The fundraising dollars and the overall event would not have been possible without assistance from the various sponsors beginning first with Brandon Dawson, CEO and Co-Founder of Cardone Ventures who organized and contributed the single largest donation in the event’s history of $25,000 to mark the 25-years the event has been in existence.
That was followed by Title Sponsor Honor Health, which donated $10,000 to the Firefighter’s Association. Its CEO Todd LaPorte, spoke about how Scottsdale Firefighters serve hospitals and the local community.
“This was truly one of the best years on record,” said Fire Captain Sasha Weller. “Not only did we surpass all fundraising goals, and had a record year of donations, but we had an incredible line-up of speakers and a huge turnout of guests for the evening. It was a very special evening.”
The evening honored Fire Captain Marty Armstrong as its FireFighter of Year for his work and for embodying the “We Care For You” attitude of the Scottsdale Fire Department.
The evening also honored four Valley residents for Contributing to Achievement and Redefining Excellence in the Valley. The recipients of the C.A.R.E. award were Lorraine Tallman, Robert Anglen, Elena Santa Cruz and Kenny Dillingham. Each recipient had the opportunity to tell their personal story, describing their inspirational journeys and how they are making a difference in the community.
Lorraine Tallman, who is the President and Founder of Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels, described her journey of helping other families and children navigate through the battle with cancer. Tallman started Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels after losing her own daughter to childhood cancer.
Arizona Republic Investigative Reporter Robert Anglen and Criminal Justice Reporter Elena Santa Cruz, also shared their stories about being on the frontlines of unearthing the tragedy of Preston Lord, and the violent actions caused by the ‘Gilbert Goons.’ Their commitment to transparency 
and hard work is sought after across the state.
Finally, as the youngest head coach in college football, ASU Alum and Scottsdale native Kenny Dillingham was recognized for his passion in connecting the Valley’s culture to the team. Dillingham has made it his goal to bring a new level of community to the Sun Devils and his passion for the betterment of life and culture through sports inspires celebration.