Coach, Charleston 9 firefighter Louis Mulkey honored in new movie

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The story of Louis Mulkey is one of service and sacrifice. A captain with the Charleston Fire Department, Mulkey was killed in the 2007 Sofa Superstore Fire that claimed the lives of eight other firefighters.

Fighting fires was his profession for more than 11 years, but teaching and coaching kids was his passion.

Mulkey was a coach for the Summerville High School basketball team, but his lessons extended beyond the court.

“They were inspired by the coach,” said Steven Doniger, executive director of Summerville Dream. “After his death the Charleston firefighters brought a helmet over so they always have a piece of him with them the entire way, and it inspired them to go out there and take that extra step.”

Mulkey’s legacy was captured in a new movie called “The Green Wave,” a reference to the Summerville High School mascot.

Summerville Dream hosted the first screening of The Green Wave at Hutchinson Square Thursday night.

“We had to move really quickly. We had about five days to pull all of this off,” Doniger said. “It just means a lot that we are able to talk about a tragedy like this and the outcome that came out of it where everyone came together and supported the families, supported the community and the players. That’s really a testament to what Summerville is about.”

In 76 minutes, the movie follows the 2008 Summerville High School Basketball team as they look to fulfill Coach Mulkey’s prediction that the squad would win the state championship, a prediction he made a year earlier.

WATCH FREE: Watch “The Green Wave” for free on Crackle.

In the crowd were more than 100 community members, family, athletes from the 2008 championship team and firefighters from the Charleston Fire Station Mulkey once called home. All of them came out to remember the man who changed lives through the nostalgic comfort only the silver screen can imbue.

Sitting in the front row was Ann Mulkey, Louis’ mother. At times teary-eyed, she said she loved every minute.

The movie was released on the streaming service Crackle the same day it aired in Summerville.

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