By Clint Thomas
The Charleston Gazette
SISSONVILLE, W.Va. — Some friendly competition went a long way recently toward restoring fire service as usual to residents of Sissonville and surrounding areas.
From noon until 6 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 7, firefighters from throughout the Kanawha Valley convened at the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Nitro to compete in a benefit for the Sissonville Volunteer Fire Department. The Sissonville VFD lost its entire main fire station on Sissonville Drive in an Oct. 1 blaze.
“The competition was an open invitation to any fire department that wanted to participate,” explained Sissonville VFD Chief Thomas Johnson last week.
“It was a firefighters’ competition, things that firefighters train in - hose drags and stuff like that. We had several teams in team competitions like ladder, hose raise, advance hose stream onto target, and hammer sled. Hammer sled is moving an iron rail sled with a sledgehammer; that’s just an endurance type of thing,” he said.
Johnson estimated that five area fire departments were represented during the afternoon fundraiser that tested the firefighters’ individual and team skills and stamina.
The chief also estimated that approximately $3,200 was raised, although that figure may have been higher, given the number of individual donations made throughout the day.
“A lot of people came in to the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant,” he said. “A lot of families came in with their children. The children went through a Jupiter Jump.
“They had a boot drive on the main road outside of the restaurant, and the restaurant gave us part of their proceeds on the day’s sales. By and large, fun was had by all, it was a good competition and no one was hurt.”
Johnson mentioned two more upcoming fundraisers for the Sissonville VFD. On Friday, Nov. 26, the Wendy’s restaurant on Sissonville Drive will donate a portion of its sales that day to the VFD. A fundraising golf match will be held at the course on Derricks Creek Road on Saturday, Nov. 27, as well.
On Saturday, Dec. 18, the Sissonville VFD Auxiliary is sponsoring a holiday bus trip to benefit the department. The round-trip excursion to the American Mountain Theater in Elkins costs $65 per person, which includes a buffet dinner, a shopping opportunity at Hiawatha’s Gifts (where 5 percent of sales proceeds will go the Sissonville VFD) and a ticket to the theater’s “Christmas Spectacular” performance. For reservations or more information about the trip to and from Sissonville, contact Buck Flynn or JoAnn Calhoun at 304-345-0345.
Johnson said the breadth of the financial, moral and manpower aid from the community has been seemingly immeasurable since the fire, which was determined to be accidental, traced to a faulty electrical line service and resulting in approximately $1.25 million in damages.
“We’ve received far more than we could have possibly imagined,” said Johnson. “We’ve had several corporate donors, such as Columbia Gas and Cabot Oil and Gas ... several agencies around the valley - DuPont and Carbide and people like that.”
As government, corporate and individual donations continue to come in, Johnson said the VFD still has much to do to get back to “business as usual” in the weeks and months ahead. He cited such measures as working with attorneys on site locations for a new fire station and weighing public input on the matter and accepting bids on replacement equipment, including tankers, engines and other emergency rescue vehicles.
For more information about upcoming fundraising events or rebuilding efforts or donating to the Sissonville VFD, contact Thomas Johnson at 304-988-3597.
Copyright 2010 Charleston Newspapers