The Firemen Had a Ball!
That's right…. the 9th Annual Firemen's Ball was the best one yet, raising over $75,000 for Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department.
The crew that puts on the Firemen's Ball (spearheaded by Steph and Larry Ihle) is so dedicated and puts in so much hard work – and they all seem to have a great time doing it, too. Everyone from the grill-masters to the pork-choppers to the bartenders to the band members are all smiles all day and night. That infectious sense of fun gets spread to the crowds queueing up for BBQ, bidding on auction items, or taking to the dance floor. The Bud Light flows, people start grinning and digging deep in their pockets to stuff the firemen's boots with donations.
My family loves the Firemen's Ball. We love the food and the camaraderie and seeing people that you only see Memorial Day weekend each year. The auction is very entertaining. (A bidding war over Ruth Toth's cake? Hell, yeah!) We love dancing to the Rockers, the Aaron Caswell Band, and the Dune Dogs.
The Firemen's Ball is a great, feel-good community event. I'm always happy to see all the people it brings together, families and friends, young and old, locals and tourists alike. My husband Rob and I were delighted to run into our teenage kids at the Ball. (They were where they said they'd be – yay!) Several generations of revelers were represented – at one point, I think Rob must have been the oldest person on the dance floor, while the youngest was probably sixty years his junior, with all ages in between. How cool is that?
Even though this was the most lucrative year for the Firemen's Ball, it wasn't the most crowded, which was nice. The Ocracoke Fire and Protection Association's treasurer, Teresa O'Neal, told me that she thinks there were fewer people attending this year, but they were extremely generous. She and her husband, Ocracoke VFD chief Albert O'Neal, were tired but happy at the close of the night, and expressed appreciation for everyone who came out and made it a success.
I came home tired, but happy as well. Even though my only contribution was some cash stuffed into a boot and singing along to all the bands' songs (like I meant it, with my eyes closed), I felt like I'd done a little to help out the great folks who make up our volunteer fire department. If you're willing to rush to save my family or house out of the kindness of your heart, I guess I can drink a Bud Light and dance like no one's watching in your honor.
Our whole community owes a huge debt of thanks to the Firemen's Ball organizers and volunteers. Not only do they put on a great event (nine of them so far!), they made us all believe that building a new Fire Hall was a real possibility.
Although everyone involved is a wonderful human being, a few people are in need of special attention. (Steph Ihle provided this list, so we know these folks are really deserving of our gratitude.) Thanks to Casey Peeler, who worked tirelessly gathering auction items this years and brought new ideas and energy to the auction; Dusty Baker, jack of all trades (and member of the Dune Dogs) who kept things rolling on the food line and still managed to sing (and dance!) all night long; Will Roberson, one of the chief cookers, who has not gotten much-deserved recognition in previous years – he is one who starts the grill the night before and helps man it all night long (including through the thunderstorm the other night!); Dave Finch, Dune Dogs member, Firemen's Ball founding member, chief roaster, who throws his heart and soul in to the event every year; Elaine Spencer, who keeps EVERYONE straight; Dick and Janey Jacoby, who so generously donate so much of their time and resources all year long but still manage to man the silent auction every year and do all the paperwork involved before and after.
And thanks to everyone, especially O'cockers, who donated either items or sponsorships even after another tough year of ferry delays, bridge closures, non-existent dredges, etc.
Mark your calendars for next year – they'll do it again. "Larry and I are grateful to be part of such an awesome team - it was the funnest year we've ever had and we're already looking forward to #10!" Steph said.
The official word from the Ocracoke Fire and Protection Association is this:
The OFPA has so many people to thank for making the 9th Annual Firemen's Ball such a success. The afternoon started with many visitors to the new fire station. It was so nice to meet and chat with these visitors.
The Firemen's Ball started with the pigpickin' and silent auction, followed by the live auction and dancing. The money has been counted and recounted.
Thanks to the generosity of so many people, it appears that this is the best year ever. We have some pledges that need to be paid, and bills that haven't come in, but it looks like we may clear between $75,000 and $80,000. A sum like this will make a sizable payment on our bank loan.
The building of the new fire station has occurred because so many of you saw the need and helped in so many ways. Thank you for the things you have done and your continued financial support.
The Ocracoke Fire Protection Association Board
None of this would have been possible without the generous support of the 2014 Firemen's Ball sponsors.
