The Firemen's Ball auction is always a raucous and fun event, but this year it surpassed itself. Generous bidders raised over $21,000 for the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department in just over an hour. Wow.
Even more amazing was the announcement by 2nd Assistant Fire Chief Ernie Doshier, who took a few moments toward the end of the auction to present a giant check to Judy Garrish of Yadkin Bank. The new Fire Hall is paid for!
Judy is the Ocracoke branch manager, and she was instrumental in helping the fire department borrow the $600,000 to complete the building in 2013. (The total cost for the building was 1.2 million.) The OVFD moved to their new home in 2014. In just three years, with phenomenal support from the Firemen's Ball (and some other small fundraisers) and Occupancy Tax grants, the Ocracoke Fire and Protection Association (the admin part of OVFD) was able to pay off the loan completely.
Ernie thanked Judy and the bank, the Occupancy Tax board, the Dune Dogs (who started the Firemen's Ball), Steph and Larry Ihle (who organize it each year), and all the volunteers and sponsors and auction bidders and everyone who comes out to support their efforts.
Dick Jacoby is the president of OFPA and a firefighter. He told me that people at the Firemen's Ball kept coming up and congratulating him and the fire department for their success.
"I told them all this community needs to be congratulated. We really owe the Ocracoke community for their support, and also the larger OVFD community off the island," he said. "We get a lot of support from Raleigh and the crowd that comes for the Firemen's Ball."
Even though the Fire Hall is paid for, the partying-for-a-good-cause will continue. The focus now is on a new truck. New regulations from the National Fire Protection Association will require that OVFD replace their manual transmission trucks with automatics, among other new standards for fire departments.
"The regulations are the same whether you are a small volunteer fire department, or in New York City," Dick said. The fire department will have their inspection in November and expect to make some upgrades.
Hyde County gives each of its townships' fire departments $17,000 a year, and the National Park Service contributes a couple thousand to OFVD as well. All the other money for equipment, training, building maintenance, etc. is paid for by Occupancy Tax and OVFD fundraisers. (Remember Bingo? That helped a little, too.)
"We sell a lot of t-shirts," Dick said. If you see his little red truck parked at the Fire Hall, go in and get a t-shirt. They are also available at Books to Be Red and the Island Ragpicker.
The 11th annual Firemen's Ball was another great success. It has already cleared over $57,000 and there is still sponsor money coming in. The annual Memorial Day weekend BBQ/auction/party/dance was started by the Dune Dogs (it made $3500 the first year) a rock-n-roll band whose members hail from Raleigh and love playing music on Ocracoke.
Dune Dogs singer and guitar man Dusty Baker said it best: "Eleven years later, the new OVFD building is paid in full!! Love you, Ocracoke Island, and all you do for my soul and my spirit. Proud weekend for us Dogs."
It was a proud weekend for everyone who supports, is a part of, or depends on Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department.
Correction: This article originally stated that the loan amount was for 3.5 million. Yikes! We got that wrong.