by Phil Stilton

SPRING LAKE HEIGHTS-This weekend, a thief walked off with $1,000 of Christmas Tree sales raised through a tree sale fundraiser by the Independent Fire Company. Today, there has been an outpouring of support all along the Jersey Shore for the firefighters.

“We have been the victim of a real life grinch,” the fire company said Saturday morning when they found out their cash register had been stolen.

This morning, Sue DesMarais and Jennifer Gallagher visited the Independent Fire Company and donated $500 to them from money the charity raised last month at a Jackson Township fundraiser held at Cornerstone Kitchen and Tap.

DesMarais is a former police officer and has been the victim of two home fires said she read the story and felt compelled to make the donation.

” I read that the someone stole $1000.00 dollars from the Independent Fire Company in Spring Lakes Christmas Tree Fundraiser. So Jennifer Gallagher and I went down there with a $500.00 donation from K-9 Valor Task Force.”

She said she was interviewed by Channel 7 News, New York and spoke about her own ordeal where firefighters rescued her pets from her burning home in Jackson.

“I’m sorry this happened, I like to pay things forward,” she said.

“Any donations can be either mailed to Independent Fire Co #1 at 700 6th Ave, spring lake heights NJ 07762. Or can be directly dropped off at our station,” the department said to those who have offered support on their Facebook page.

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Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

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