(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

OKANAGAN - It may have been the barbeque burgers, smokies and good food. Or perhaps it was the great music and camaraderie. Quite possibly it was the wide variety of charity auction items.

Whatever the reason, people from the North Westside communities have again shown their great support for their non-profit Fire Rescue Society and its members!

Last Saturday’s annual Community BBQ Fund Raiser held in the amenities area of La Casa Lakeside Cottage Resort set a new record, raising more than $16,200 for the North Westside Firefighters Society. That’s about $5,000 more than was raised at the event in 2015. The Society will also be raising funds during the upcoming Friends of Fintry - Fall Fair on Sunday, Sept. 18 at Fintry Provincial Park.

“On behalf of all the men and women of the department, we thank everyone from the area who came out to have a good time with their friends and neighbours while contributing to the Society’s largest fundraiser of the year. We also want to thank our many sponsors and those businesses and individuals who donated items for the auction, including a generous donation from the Shelter Cove Strata owners in recognition of the work done by the department during last year’s threatening wildfire. And it’s of course it’s great to have the ongoing support of the strata owners and management of La Casa Resort, which is the perfect venue,” Fire Chief Jason Satterthwaite said.

“Firefighters Shawn Barnes, Val Zimmer and their enthusiastic team deserve a huge vote of thanks for their outstanding work in organizing every aspect of this fun and profitable event. Activities like this and our weekly driver training, get our firefighters out into the community, often handing out stickers to youngsters and giving them tours of our trucks,” Satterthwaite said.

Firefighter Shawn Barnes is the President of the independent, non-profit Society, which is made up of all active firefighters. They determine where the funds raised will be spent in order to benefit the North Westside communities through the purchase of additional, often specialized pieces of equipment that are outside the regular fire department equipment budget.

As well, the Society has provided a $1,000 scholarship for members of the department who are considering a professional emergency services career and wish to further their education. Last year funds raised by the Society were used to purchase and donate to the department equipment inventory a large bore high volume monitor nozzle, four CPR training dolls and ten pairs of forestry boots.

Past Society donations were used to help provide equipment for the boathouse boat lift and generator.

News from © iNFOnews, 2016