Horrifying scenes in Haiti have prompted firefighters to organise a charity car wash to support victims of the devastating earthquake.

SUFFOLK: Horrifying scenes in Haiti have prompted firefighters to organise a charity car wash to support victims of the devastating earthquake.

Crews at Felixstowe Fire Station will get in a lather between 10am and 4pm on Saturday, February 13, to raise money for the Red Cross mission to help survivors.

Gary Fry, watch manager at the station, said: “We have all been moved by what happened in Haiti.

“It has touched all our hearts.”

It was Felixstowe fire fighter Wil (cor) Tel who first came up with the idea for the car wash, having seen horrific footage of children being pulled from the rubble following the disaster which struck on January 12.

Having previously taken part in a similar event to aid the recovery following the Tsunami in 2004, Wil was keen to organise the event to support victims in Haiti.

Watch manager Fry added: “Everyone has jumped on board and wanted to be involved.

“We are the type of people who will try to help anyone in distress.”

Around 30 volunteers including firefighters, their wives, children and supporters will get busy with the buckets and sponges to support the massive rescue mission in the Caribbean.

Paul Dye, also a watch manager at the station, said: “It is going to be a hard day for us but we hope it will be well supported.

“Everyone's car is dirty at this time of year and it is a great way for people to donate to the cause.”

Organisers expect the day to be popular and advise all supporters to be prepared to queue.

All helpers will be boosted by food and drink from the station's own cook, who is catering especially for the day.

Firefighter James Winslade has pledged to do his bit to raise money and save lives.

“It's not a nice situation out there so we will do anything we can to make it better.”

How are you helping the people of Haiti? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

Haiti earthquake fastfacts:

Around 150,000 people are feared dead after an earthquake struck at 4.53pm on January 12.

A further 1.5 million people were made homeless by the disaster

In Leogane, west of Port-au-Prince, around 90 per cent of buildings are in ruins or will need to be rebuilt.

4,209 bodies have been buried in three mass graves since the quake.

There are fears Cholera could develop in the shanty towns springing up in the county's streets, which have no sanitation.

STOWMARKET: He is only seven years old but little Josh Manning has a big heart.

After witnessing the devastating television footage of the earthquake in Haiti, Josh, who lives with parents Rachel and Tim and little sister Isabel in Stowmarket, decided he wanted to do his bit to help the victims.

Mrs Manning said: “He had seen it on the news and I believe they were speaking about it at school, too. It was his thought, it was all his idea.

“He just came home from school and said he wanted to do something to help others affected and we came up with doing odd jobs.

“He baked cakes, did gardening and washed cars. We sold the cakes and in total made �150. I helped and went around asking for donations and people were very generous with what they gave him.”

Josh, who goes to Wood Ley Primary School, said he had made chocolate crunch cakes, Rice Krispie cakes and buns and had sold them all to his neighbours.

He said: “I saw it on the news and I started to think about it. I made cakes, did some gardening and I got a little bit of help.”