The sixth annual Hook and Ladder Enduro went off without a hitch this year. The weather cooperated, the rain had come and gone and the grass was green. With more than 500 entrants we had our best year ever in terms of donating to the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Fireman’s Fund. The number of participants was up and we sold almost eight thousand raffle tickets. Everyone also opened their wallets and gave generously at the silent auction.
As usual we had tons of help from our volunteers. We want to thank everyone that volunteered their time, donated gifts and helped in the many ways that make this a successful event. We cannot name everyone individually, but each year I try to recognize one of the groups that helped. Last year we recognized Teter’s Trailer (who cooked 700 hot dogs this year!) and this year I would like to recognize the registration crew. First and foremost a big thank you to my wife Debbie, the Incident Commander, who made it all work. Roy Prince is the head honcho at the sign in table, and he was assisted by Bob Saurman, Steve Saurman and Sonja Reitmayer. T-shirt sales are handled by Joannie Prince, Krissy Raden, and Kathy Runyon. Joanne Grossman and Pam Abbott took your money – lots of it! Thank you. They are there all day Friday and most of Saturday. That does not include set up and tear down. It gets a little hectic, particularly early on Saturday morning when everyone is trying to make it to their class start time. That being said, please try to come by registration on Friday afternoon next year and avoid the rush.
I heard of a trendy new cocktail being served at Hook and Ladder this year. It’s called the “Wrecked RZR.” You need one of those high powered two stroke motorized blenders to make this concoction. You start with a 1000 cc motor, add four rubber tires, some plastic, a couple of seats, and metal to taste. Throw that in the blender with a ton of alcohol and there you have the makings of a “Wrecked RZR.” For the exact recipe you can talk to the guy who’s’ initials are an acronym for an infectious lung disease. You can try this at home but do not bring it to the next Hook and Ladder Enduro as this cocktail has been banned at any future events.
Thank you all for coming this year. Your participation made it one of the best ever. Let’s do it next year and keep the camaraderie alive.
By Bruce Galien
