Volunteer firefighters are busy reigniting their fundraising efforts.
According to the Chestnut Ridge Community Volunteer Fire Company, firefighters spend nearly 60% of their time fundraising. Typical fundraisers include raffles, bingo nights, food sales, cash bashes and, of course, carnivals. Stations were forced to curtail these events when the coronavirus pandemic struck.
Many fire departments struggled in 2020 as fundraisers were canceled, but some found their footing through virtual fundraisers.
Diane Proctor, recording secretary and board member at Chestnut Ridge, said her team initially struggled when their in-person raffle events were canceled last spring. Chestnut Ridge got creative and began hosting fundraisers via Facebook Live. Starting with raffles once or twice a week in December 2020, a weekly livestream winner announcement became a staple of the Chestnut Ridge firehouse.
Proctor said the community response was overwhelming. Since December, the fire company gained more than 1,500 new followers on Facebook.
“We learned from other departments,” she said.
Even as the department prepares for its 60th annual fair in July, which will be held in person, Proctor said they’ll plan to keep an online component.
She plans to auction off 10 items online July 5-10 in conjunction with the fair.
Variety of efforts
Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Department Company 3 focused its efforts almost entirely to food truck events. The first event of the season, held in early May, featured food trucks, raffles and dozens of local vendors. According to Lower Burrell’s Brennan Sites, the event saw more than 3,000 visitors.
“We want to make a community-centric event,” Sites said. “And coming back to ‘normal’ is helping tremendously.”
Their next food truck event is scheduled for July 24.
With a variety of events to choose from, Sites says there are a number of fun and interactive ways to support local volunteer fire departments as they get back on their feet.
“The community has really rallied behind us,” Sites said. “The word overwhelming is not enough.”
As pandemic restrictions ease, dozens of in-person fundraising events already have been scheduled for this summer.
Last weekend, Salem Township’s Slickville Volunteer Fire Department held its annual carnival just down the street from its station. The event featured all the trappings of a traditional carnival, complete with a parade, food, games, children’s play areas and fireworks.
“I think we really planted the seeds for future events,” said Dominic Damico, a 40-year veteran of the department.
Fellow veteran firefighter Steve Perfetta was among those who worked to get the carnival on its feet. Perfetta said more than 400 people attended the carnival Saturday, many of whom were “out-of-town people.”
As the carnivals pop back up, departments are doing their best to stand out in a crowd of similar events.
“Donating to your local fire department, it’s an investment in your own property,” Damico said.
Lower Burrell’s carnival, too, ran last week, filling a shopping center parking lot with rides, food and paying customers.
Burger event returns
While carnivals are largely relegated to once-a-year events, food can be served more often — especially if the eats are famous in their own right.
Greensburg Hose Company No. 8’s Shuey Burger, a tasty burger fundraiser, has returned to the fire company’s station along Highland Avenue.
Longtime Hose Company No. 8 firefighters such as Rick Hoyle, who grew up near the fire hall, say they aren’t sure when cooking the Shuey Burgers became an annual tradition, but it started with the ladies auxiliary more than 50 years ago and might be closer to 60 years.
Volunteers cook upwards of 200 pounds of ground beef for the event and have nine 50-pound sacks of Spanish onions available for peeling and cooking. Customers are not coming back in the numbers they had hoped, said Elysia Battistella, chairwoman of the fundraiser, after covid restrictions impacted attendance.
“We need more people,” Hoyle said as he looked out from the pavilion where a few customers were sitting at tables downing their burgers.
Upcoming Shuey Burger events are planned July 9 and Aug. 6.
This story was corrected to reflect the date of the next Lower Burrell food truck event on July 24.
