St. Ignatius community rallies behind volunteer fire department
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ST. IGNATIUS- The St. Ignatius community supported its volunteer fire department en masse Saturday at the 18th annual fireman’s picnic.
As fire chief Martin Frazzini put it, “I’m blessed to be the fire chief in what is probably the best community in Montana.”
Gesturing towards a long line of emergency vehicles, Frazzini said, “All that equipment, all these trucks? It all came from these people right here.”
No small affair, the picnic takes nearly a year to organize and plan. Three-year volunteer fireman Joseph Mitchell said the department might start planning next year's event as soon as last weekend's wrapped up.
“We put a lot of work into it,” he said. “I’m glad people are enjoying themselves.”
This year's picnic featured a moon jump slip-and-slide, Montana Grizzlies cheerleaders and football players, a helicopter landing and tour by the Life Flight chopper out of St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, and enough food for a small army.
Fireman Tim Callahan has been with the department since 1989 and a picnic cook for all 18 years. With help, Callahan cooked 600 pounds of beef, three hogs and 32 turkeys to accommodate the appetites of many hungry supporters.
His grill of choice is his father’s old potato washer. He and fellow fireman Tim Mitchell converted the steel wagon into a 10 foot-tall rotisserie barbecue.
Callahan called himself “chef by association” and smiled a bit while announcing that none of the food will go to waste.
A live auction with roughly 250 items, all donated by local businesses or private citizens, rounded out the afternoon. Frazzini said the generosity of donors gives credence to his previous claim about living in the best community in Montana.
“No business we walked into turned us away,” Frazzini said.
Resident Sharron Stevens was elated after casting the winning bid on item No. 7; an Igloo cooler complete with ice, Heineken mini-keg and wine. Stevens said she planned to win many more; “It’s for a great cause. I come out just about every year.”
The department saw support from more than just local community members. Arlee volunteer fireman Jim Steele has been a wildland firefighter for 44 years and a structural firefighter for 20.
“We’re neighbors and they help us out when we need it,” Steele said. “This is a good chance to get out and help support the community.”
Frazzini said the main goal of the picnic is to take care of the people in the community who take care of the fire department. However, he admitted that even if they didn’t make money, the picnic would continue. He said it is an essential part of getting everyone together to socialize and rally around a good cause.
“There’s only one paid fireman in all of Lake County,” Frazzini said. “(Volunteer firemen are) some of the best people you’ll ever meet, and this is the one time of the year when we really do feel appreciated for what we do.”
Lake County Bank manager and St. Ignatius fire department treasurer Fred Gariepy said the event grossed more than $27,000.
