TikTok helps woman put together the sweetest gift for retired firefighter dad [Video]

• In 2018, one woman started to collect fire department T-shirts from all 50 US states.
• The woman wanted to make a quilt out of all the fire department T-shirts she collected.
• However, she only received eight T-shirts after sending handwritten letters to fire departments all over the country. 

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A project that has been in the works for several years is finally nearing completion, and it’s all because of TikTok!

Allison Marois of Iowa came up with the concept to build a quilt out of fire department T-shirts collected from all 50 states back in 2018. The inspiration came from family holidays she took as a child. Bill Collins, her father, always purchased a T-shirt from the local fire department in every town they visited.

Allison only received eight T-shirts despite mailing handwritten letters to fire departments around the United States.

This year, Bill resigned from the Des Moines Fire Department after 38 years of service, and Allison devised a new strategy to complete the task she had begun. Allison posted a video on TikTok asking people to send in shirts so she could finish the project and give Bill the quilt as a birthday present.

@alli_marois_

Do your thing Tiktok! #firetiktok #firefightertiktok #firefighterlife #firstreponder #foryoupage ♬ Pieces (Solo Piano Version) – Danilo Stankovic

“Do your thing, TikTok!” she captioned the video, which immediately went viral with hundreds of thousands of views.

Allison said the response to her video has been amazing, with numerous people offering to send her a shirt out of goodwill.

She’s not shocked that so many individuals have responded to her appeal, given how close-knit the firefighting community is. Many of the T-shirts they’ve gotten have included handwritten letters and other encouraging messages. A widow whose husband was a firefighter who perished on 9/11 even sent one of his shirts.

@alli_marois_

Reply to @user8412320702569 another week of sewing 🧵🪡 #firefighterlife #firstreponder #ems #firefightertiktok #foryoupage #firedepartment #firetiktok ♬ Up – Movie Theme – Giampaolo Pasquile

The quilt is turning out to be the best gift for her father, who she describes as the quintessential firefighter.

“He really is passionate being a firefighter,” she said. “That’s the one thing that he’s loved. If someone was born to do something, my dad was born to be a firefighter. My dad is one of my number one supporters and he … he is really one of the best men in my life and I wouldn’t trade him for anything.”

Allison just received the last of the 50 T-shirts she’ll need for the quilt! They’ve started cutting apart the shirts and say they’ll reveal the finished product once they’re done.

Source: Inspire More