UFC star Conor McGregor donates $100K to Savannah Fire

UFC star and recent Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade attendee Conor McGregor has included Savannah Fire in his philanthropic endeavors, donating $100,000 to the department for new protective gear.

According to a council resolution set for consideration at Thursday's Savannah City Council meeting, the money will be used to purchase helmets and gear bags designed to protect firefighters from prolonged exposure to carcinogens and off-gassing from contaminated turnout gear until the gear can be cleaned and sanitized at the station.

The partnership came about in January, Savannah Fire Chief Elzie Kitchen said. Representatives from Savannah Fire accepted the check at an event, but had to wait until the actual check came in before submitting it for council approval.

In the time between, Kitchen said Savannah Fire and Proper No. Twelve began building a relationship that culminated in McGregor visiting Savannah Fire on St. Patrick’s Day, prior to the parade.

McGregor's donation comes through Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey, a liquor company founded by the UFC standout. 

During Proper No. Twelve's launch in late 2018, McGregor and his partners pledged that the whiskey company would donate $5 for every case of Proper No. Twelve sold, with a goal of donating $1 million annually to first-responder organizations around the world.

The Irishman made headlines on St. Patrick's Day this year when he visited the Hostess City for the festivities, which included a visit to the Savannah Fire Department headquarters that morning.

A video posted on his Twitter page shows McGregor visiting the firehouse on Oglethorpe Avenue, hanging out with firefighters, touring the facilities and shaking hands with Chief Kitchen.

As an additional gift, the annual St. Patrick’s Day breakfast hosted by Savannah Fire was paid for by Proper No. Twelve. But they left the actual cooking to the professionals: local members of the International Association of Fire Fighters union.

“It was like two days before that we found out a celebrity was coming. We were hoping it was Conor McGregor, and it turned out that it was,” Kitchen said. “It was great to see him that morning. You see people that are famous in the public, and you hear about them, but when you meet them and they’re generous with their funds, it just goes a long way.”

McGregor also rode in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in a branded Proper No. Twelve SUV.

In a tweet, McGregor said Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities was “one of the biggest and baddest” in the world.

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson joked during his weekly press conference on Monday, saying he almost challenged McGregor, the first UFC fighter to hold UFC championships in two weight classes at the same time, to a “duel.” Johnson said he thought better of it when McGregor put his arm around him.

"We always appreciate those who support our first responders, and this donation will support Savannah's bravest," Johnson said. "I had the chance to personally thank him during the parade, and again, if anybody else wants to support our fire department and our police department and the work they do, we're very gracious to accept it."

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: From the UFC octagon to Savannah's squares, Conor McGregor makes donation to Savannah Fire

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