Otter Lake Fire Department grateful for community support

Montana Burrell, left, and Celeste Smith sold last-minute raffle tickets at the Steak Bake.

Montana Burrell, left, and Celeste Smith sold last-minute raffle tickets at the Steak Bake.

The Otter Lake Fire Department wants to express its gratitude to all the businesses and individuals who bought and sold our annual truck raffle tickets.

The community came through again. And when I say “community” I mean community in the broad sense that extends from the Mohawk Valley to Raquette Lake and points beyond.

We just completed our 31st Annual Truck Raffle. With tickets selling at just $2 each, it takes a ton of tickets to cover the cost of a truck that has an MSRP of over $28,000, and still make a profit.

Tom (left) and Dan Abrial supplied firewood for the Otter Lake Fire Department’s Steak Bake where the 2015 Raffle winner was drawn. Photos by Jay Lawson

Tom (left) and Dan Abrial supplied firewood for the Otter Lake Fire Department’s Steak Bake where the 2015 Raffle winner was drawn. Photos by Jay Lawson

This would not be possible without the support of the businesses and their employees that so willingly take time from their short summer season to sell our tickets.

We also have our property owners and other individuals that buy and sell our tickets to whom we are so grateful.

When our ladies auxiliary first proposed to raffle a vehicle in 1974 for $1 a ticket, more than a few of us thought they were nuts. Looking back, they probably were nuts.

But it worked, and it continues to work only because of the many great people that continue to support us even if their only association with Otter Lake is to drive through it once in a while.

Old Forge and Otter Lake Fire Departments recently collaborated in a can drive to benefit Believe 271.

Believe 271 is an organization dedicated to helping financially stressed firefighters and EMS personnel in Oneida and Herkimer counties battling life threatening illnesses.

The can drive netted $5,550. This is a great example of how communities can have such a positive impact.

There are so many small fire departments in the country, each of them trying hard to stay current with mandated regulations and training, and fighting to maintain and upgrade their equipment, all the while facing tight budgets and a chronic personnel shortage.

The next time you are traveling through a small town try to remember that if you have an accident or emergency you would be relying on that local fire department to help you.

You can help them by going to their functions and buying their tickets.

It’s easy to think of a fire department as belonging only to that specific town or village, but through mutual aid with neighboring departments their life- and property-saving mission goes far beyond any town boundaries.

Without all those fine people well beyond our boundaries supporting us it would be impossible for us to meet our mission goals.

Thank you all for your continued support.

Best regards,

Tom Abrial, Secretary

Otter Lake Fire Department

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