NISLAND—For the past 18 years, the community has turned out to support the Nisland-Arpan Volunteer Fire and Rescue during their annual Brisket Feed Fundraiser at the Nisland Fire Hall on August 1.
This year was no different; the Fire Hall was packed with hungry visitors lining up to eat brisket or pulled pork sandwiches along with baked beans, coleslaw, chips, dessert and a variety of cold drinks. Individual cups of ice cream were also offered to everyone.
The volunteers started serving food at 10 a.m. and stayed busy until the scheduled ending time of 2 p.m.
The brisket feed is the Fire Hall’s main fundraiser for the year, and as always, the money raised each year has a purpose. “This year we’re trying to update some trucks,” shared Stan Lewis, Fire Chief.
The Fire & Rescue crew couldn’t have a successful fundraiser without the community getting behind them. “I don’t even know how to…I mean, words don’t express how grateful we are for how well we are supported, it’s amazing,” shared Lewis. “I mean, for what we do—and it is a big call to service when we get years like this because we’re out on average about every day—a lot of fires happening this week, we have been super busy, and as a result, we’ve been probably supported more than normal because they know we’re out all the time.”
Along with the Brisket Feed, the 19th Annual Nisland-Arpan Volunteer Fire & Rescue Auxiliary Pie Sale offered another way for the community to support the fire department. Whole pies were available for $20 each, while mini pies were available for $5. All proceeds from the pie sales went to Nisland-Arpan Fire & Rescue.
In addition to the tasty meal available for a free-will donation, the event included tables full of silent auction items lining the side walls of the Fire Hall. Sheets of paper were placed with each item to allow attendees to place running bids throughout the event. Businesses from all over the area donated items to be auctioned off to support the Nisland-Arpan Volunteer Fire and Rescue fundraising endeavor.
A live band entertained the crowd. The band isn’t your traditional band that plays together every weekend, no, they are all just volunteers from the Fire Department that play together at the Brisket Feed. They were a very talented bunch and they kept the crowd entertained. “So they’re mostly fire guys, and they just come play together here and they look forward to it,” explained Lewis.
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