It’s a really big ball for the little hamlet of Calahoo and there’s a lot riding on it.
The Calahoo volunteer firefighters are preparing for their annual ball and silent auction event. It’s a major community event in its own right but it’s also the group’s primary fundraiser to help finance key pieces of equipment as well as physical training and education for its members. While they save up for new trucks and specialized firefighting tools otherwise not provided to them by the county, they also need some basic necessities like proper leather boots.
Bob Hammel, secretary for the group and a key organizer of the event, said they have a lot of responsibility for a big swath of area.
“We do it all, anything from ambulance assists right up to house fires, brush fires ... we’re fully equipped. We have a little truck that we use for bush fires and stuff like that, that was mostly paid for by fundraising through the association.”
He added how important that fundraising is.
“We put money toward things like our wildland truck. We have a wildland trailer that is fully equipped to go out and fight wildland fires. Some of that stuff was purchased by the association through their fundraising.”
The group hosts two events every year — the springtime pancake breakfast and the ball. While the former is usually pretty popular, the latter has a lot riding on it.
“This one is the major fundraiser because we have a silent auction so there’s better profits out of it. We are on the list to get a new pumper. We’re saving some money to get some little add-ons put on that as well. They’re really expensive and don’t come standard with the truck.”
The Calahoo volunteer fire department is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. It is one of seven volunteer departments in Sturgeon County. It covers about 260 sq. km of territory starting at Highway 16 on the Parkland/Sturgeon County border, north to Highway 642 and west to the fifth meridian at the Lac Ste. Anne County border. The volunteer department has more than 20 members who get called into action between 80 and 100 times a year.
