Have You Ever Hosted a Fire Station Show as a Fundraiser?

[vogee13]

Has anyone done fire station shows to help them stock their kitchens with products or anyother type of show/fundraiser. I was going to pamper a station in my area but wanted to have an idea to throw out there when I talked to them.

 

[janetupnorth]

Hmm...no...but being a firefighter, I have a few questions before I throw out ideas...

Volunteer or Paid crew?

Full-time on call (sleeping at the station) or part-time?

It makes a difference...full-time paid crews may not be able to spend $ on stuff without going through the city politics.

But personally they can buy stuff.

...and great to pamper firefighters - they like to be appreciated!!!!

 

[vogee13]

Hmm...no...but being a firefighter, I have a few questions before I throw out ideas...

Volunteer or Paid crew?

Full-time on call (sleeping at the station) or part-time?

It makes a difference...full-time paid crews may not be able to spend $ on stuff without going through the city politics.

But personally they can buy stuff.

...and great to pamper firefighters - they like to be appreciated!!!!

I was looking at both paid and volunteer. All the paid stations in my area are on call stations. I wasn't going to personally ask them to purchase to stock their kitchens (city approval could be hard) but instead give them the products earned from sales to stock their kitchens. If they wanted to by for themselves great but I was thinking more along the lines of a fundraiser of sorts. Does that make sense?

I can't wait to make them a chocolate desert. In fact as soon as I get off work at the hospital I am baking!

 

[vogee13]

bumping.... any more input anyone?

 

[janetupnorth]

Volunteer would be easier because they tend to stock their own stuff...

Fundraiser makes sense and would be good...

Chocolate is good, but also maybe teach them some quick, easy "comfort food" type recipes.

I'm thinking the smashed potato soup would be a great one. After working hard fighting a good fire (especially in the cold), it is great to have a good meal.

At our volunteer dept. for monthly meetings we have one person make dinner. Some nice recipes to feed a crew would be good...some quick/easy desserts to go with it...

My department loves it when I make a good pot of spaghetti or something "homemade" and not pizza or fried chicken or burgers...

 

[janetupnorth]

Selling: Ask them to have their family and friends or locals pass a catalog or shop online to help stock their kitchen. Emphasize that after a large fire or having to test hose or long training, they can use a good meal and how better to do it with the proper tools.

We do an annual picnic at our station so grill tools are nice...

Choppers...
Garlic Press...
Veg. peeler...
Tongs, serving spoons...

Metal sheet pans will be nice when they come out...nice to have them on hand to broil garlic bread...

 

[vogee13]

bumpin... does anyone else have any experience with this type of thing?

 

[RaggedyAunt]

My memory is very vague, but a year ago in November the roasting pan w/ rack was a host special. I got all excited and thought I'd send letters to some of our firehouses (as is probably common, some of our firehouses compete for best food--there had even been an article in the paper about it). So, I thought they would just have to have the pan. So, I drafted a letter and emailed it to a friend to look it over. She wrote back and, again, it's been over a year so I'm not too clear on exactly everything, and said from her experience, firefighters have to be very careful how they order things and what they support as a group. She is active in Navajo missions and some team members approached a firehouse about buying something and the firefighters informed them of the policies. I wish I could be more clear, but it's been so long. What I would suggest is you call a local firehouse and ask if they have rules and regulations on demonstrations and sales in house. It may end up where you take a recipe, leave it with catalogs and recipe cards, and hope for the best. BTW, I never sent my letters so I did not get any direct response myself.

I think it's a great idea, but I don't know how far it will get you. But, I would suggest you call someone and check into your possibilities. Good luck.

Tammy

 

[wadesgirl]

If you do it as a fundraiser, then they would just get money from PC to do what they want to. You could always do it as a show where guests can purchase tools from a wish list and then after the show they can use the FPV to purchase anything else they wish.

 

[janezapchef]

My dad is a firefighter captain, and he has hosted two shows with me now. The first one we had at the fire station. People bought for themselves, but he used the free stuff for the station. The second one was held at his house and again the free went to the station. Really, anytime he wants something for the fire station, he just orders it. He's not looking to get reimbursed though, so, maybe that's the hitch. If it's a donation, why would it matter?Also, I'm not sure how to direct you to the particular thread, but last year I posted for ideas on a beer show. That was my dad's show at his house. The firefighters loved the recipes with beer. I made beer cheese with the soft pretzels (from the Stoneware Sensations cookbook), beer bread in the silicone floral cake pan and some other things I have completely forgotten. But, I would highly suggest a soup or chili and beer bread. The firefighter themselves were very impressed with the "other stuff" I made and with the knives (why this is all so fuzzy to me I don't know -- and I WASN'T drinking the beer either!), but their wives were very impressed with the silicone pan and how pretty the beer bread was.I don't know if this helped or not, but I had to put in my two cents here! Good luck!