Photo by Mary Lahr Cain
Fire Chief Nathan Burgess withstood a 51 degree dousing of water every time the ball found its target.
Photo Mary Lahr Cain
Volunteer fire fighter Austin Benson helps to steady the hose for Kylee Barnes at one of the many activities for the children.
Photo Mary Lahr Cain
Roger, Kathryn and their daughter, Ashton, were just a few of the volunteers from Johnson Memorial Church that served food all day long.
The threat of rain didn’t keep locals away for Saturday’s 50-210 Firemen’s Day hosted by the members of the fire department and Ladies Auxiliary. There was something for everyone at this day-long event where the department opened its doors to members of the community while raising funds to support the hard work of its volunteers.
The firemen made it easy to pick up a great meal of barbecued chicken halves, green beans, potatoes, dessert and ice tea. For those attending the activities, dining facilities were set up inside the fire house. Drive through service was available also.
The department anticipated large numbers so they started cooking 500 chickens around 6:30 in the morning with 6 to 8 volunteers manning the cookers at any given time. They also had 60 gallons each of green beans and potatoes. House-Autry Mills donated the hush puppy mix for the event. Any food that was left over at the end of the day was boxed up and donated to the community.
As if getting to sit in the fire trucks wasn’t enough, the kids had several attractions to keep them entertained. Two of the most popular were the fire hose and the dunking booth.
For a one dollar donation, kids were given an opportunity to dunk Fire Chief Nathan Burgess and they lined up for the chance. The Chief was a good sport, enduring 51 degree well water to the delight of the crowd.
Using a fire hose hooked to a hydrant, children had the opportunity to put out the “fire” in a display building. The water pressure from the hose was not as great as it would be if being used in an actual fire and firemen were on hand to help smaller children steady themselves.
The Ladies Auxiliary hosted a bake sale and live auction for the event. Auxiliary President Christy Burgess kept the public informed through Facebook about all the great items up for bid. There was a huge variety of items that were all donated by local and state businesses. A sampling of the offerings included Dinner is Done baskets of all varieties, handmade wreaths, a hand-painted chair, 2011 Silver Eagle coins, rocking horses, candy dispensers and gift certificates to destinations such as the Grove Park Inn, Biltmore and the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
This is the type of event that cannot happen without the support from the community and for that the department offers its thanks. Volunteers from Johnson Memorial Church were on hand all day to help serve food to customers. Volunteers cooked the food and the community donated items for the bake sale and auction.
“This event gets the community involved with the fire department,” said Nathan Burgess.
It is a great way for the community to support the efforts of the fire department as well.
mcain@heartlandpublications.com or 919-552-5675
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