Graysville fire company gets a million thanks
Harveys Aleppo Grange master Mary Jane Kent hugs former master Eugene Hughes, 89, who also was chief of Graysville Volunteer Fire Company for many years.
West Greene Superintendent Thelma Szarell stands with 2013 West Greene graduate Jessica Black, who was awarded a $500 scholarship by Harveys Aleppo Grange. Black is studying nursing at Waynesburg University.
Fire company President Becky Davis, left, and Chief Ron Davis are presented with the 2013 Community Citizens award by grange master Mary Jane Kent.
GRAYSVILLE – “Thank a volunteer firefighter today,” the faux million-dollar bills read.
Harveys Aleppo Grange master Mary Jane Kent was beaming as she passed them out to members of Graysville Volunteer Fire Company No. 16 Monday. It was Recognition Night at the grange on Route 21 near Graysville and the hall was full of fire company fighters, auxiliary members and their families.
“You’re our heroes,” she continued, with a catch in her voice. “I know I’m getting emotional, but you’ve always been here for us, when we needed you – in my family it was more than once – and we are here to honor you as our 2013 Community Citizens of the Year.”
When the plaque was presented, it was the company members’ turn to beam. The plaque came with a check from the grange for $1,000.
“We’re an independent department and we don’t get funding like other fire companies that get money from taxes,” company President Becky Davis said when she thanked the grange. “If it weren’t for our bingos, I don’t know how we’d pay the bills.”
It was that bingo that brought Davis and her husband, Ron, now chief, into the Graysville family of firefighters eight years ago.
“We came down one Friday night to play bingo and Eugene and Marylou Hughes were so nice to us we stayed,” Davis remembered. “Eugene was the chief at the time and he and Marylou were the backbone of the department. What you might notice about our little fire department is there’s a lot of families involved, husbands, wives, kids. We cover 3.3 square miles and that’s the smallest in the state. But we work with the other fire
Companies like New Freeport, Nineveh, Richhill, Center. When there’s a fire we’re there for each other.”
Along with fighting fires, Graysville volunteers also help fight hunger, Davis said.
“About 18 months ago the food pantry was at the Jacktown Fairground and was looking for a permanent place with heat,” he said. “We voted yes to let them use our building and now most of us volunteer at the pantry, too. It’s the third Wednesday of the month. Richhill Township supervisors bring the food to the hall and Fern Weaver and Barb Cunningham manage it. A year ago 35 families came to get food. Now it’s 90.”
Most of the fire company volunteers were present for this night of good food and friendly thank yous.
“(Hughes is) also a past master of Harvey’s Grange,” Kent said, giving him a hug. “I’ve known Eugene all my life. We’re like one big family.”
Independent fire departments formed in small towns in the early years of the 20th century out of dire necessity – usually a bad fire that brought the community together to organize volunteers and purchase equipment, trucks and hoses.
Graysville Volunteer Fire Company organized in 1931 after some particularly bad fires in town, Hughes noted. Other fire companies were created later as part of the nation’s civil defense, but Graysville was and still is “independent” and depends in great part on community support even as it supports the community.
“There’s people around who don’t have family so this year all of us volunteers are going to cook our Thanksgiving dinner at the fire hall and everybody is invited to come eat with us,” Davis said. “We’re calling it our first annual Thanksgiving Potluck. Come out for Friday night bingo and find out everything we do.”
The grange’s Recognition Night included presenting a $500 scholarship award to 2013 West Greene graduate Jessica Black, who is now studying nursing at Waynesburg University and is part of the school’s track team.
Granger of the Year honors went to grange secretary Marty Dinsmore for her time and commitment to many ongoing grange projects including Produce to People, another hunger fighting initiative through the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank that uses the grange hall and grange volunteers to bring fresh produce to more than 180 families every second Friday of the month.