EP:20 Fire & Drums: Bobby Tolley

Prior to founding Fires & Drums, Bobby Tolley was a US Army Staff Sergeant, assigned to a Special Missions Unit in Fort Bragg, NC. He completed my service and returned to New York in May 2016. Although he is proud of the accomplishments of his team during multiple combat deployments, he missed my family greatly. Eleven months later, his brother, FDNY Firefighter William Tolley, was tragically killed while fighting a fire in Brooklyn. 

Having learned how to deal with tremendous grief, he found a new purpose in life. His next mission would be to ensure that the world knew who William Tolley was and to support the first responder community. This is when Fires & Drums Foundation was born. Since its inception, the Foundation has provided direct financial support to many first responder families, sponsored a local park rehabilitation in Billy’s name, provided aid to families in Kentucky, and provided transportation services for first responder families with our foundation van. 

As always, we cannot succeed in our mission without the generous support of others. The foundation has minimal overhead, 99% of proceeds go to those directly in need. Please consider joining us in our mission, and donate today at firesanddrums.org.