CROWD … A full house gathered inside the Fayette High School gym for the Fayette Fire Department’s annual Feather Party, an evening of bingo, raffles, and community fellowship.
PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
BINGO … The Fayette Fire Department kept the crowd entertained with rounds of bingo during the annual Feather Party fundraiser.
By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jacob@thevillagereporter.com
The annual Fayette Fire Department Feather Party brought hundreds of community members together on Saturday, November 1st, 2026, for an evening of bingo, raffles, and fellowship in support of the local fire department.
Hosted inside the high school gym, the long-running tradition filled the space with excitement as players competed for 30 hams, 30 turkeys, and a variety of raffle prizes. Doors opened at 5:00 p.m., with games beginning at 6:00 and continuing into the late evening.
“It’s our bingo night, and we usually get anywhere from 350 to 450 people,” said Fire Chief Thomas Franks. “It really packs the gym, and it’s a great night for the community.”
This year featured a new addition to make the event more accessible. A large electronic display board was purchased to assist attendees who are hard of hearing. “We found this unit online, and it hooks to a TV or projector,” Chief Franks explained.
“It slows us down a little because it has to flash a few times before the next number can be called, but it helps everyone keep up.”
Chief Franks explained that the Feather Party has long served as both a fundraiser and a community gathering, while also noting that the event’s affordability remains a point of pride.
“We’re still a dime a card, 45 years later,” he said. “We don’t just do it for the fundraiser, it’s for the community, it brings people together and lets them know who we are.”
Attendees travel from as far as Indiana and Michigan to take part each year. “People just love coming here,” Franks added. “We’ve been blessed.”
That gratitude carried even greater weight this year. During the evening, Chief Franks announced that the department had recently been awarded a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant totaling more than $150,000 to help with the purchase of fire equipment.
The news came as a major relief following a challenging year in which the department operated without the relief of a tax levy.
“Our tax levy had run out during a switch of fiscal officers, and when I came back as Chief, we were two days past the deadline to reapply,” Franks explained.
“So, we’ve been running for a year with no tax dollars coming in and helping us, just what we had saved and what we’ve raised through fundraisers.”
Despite the strain, the department continued to serve without interruption. “It’s been tight,” Franks said. “We’ve got equipment that’s getting close to outdated, but my people haven’t complained because they know what we’re under. We’re like a family here, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
As the final bingo numbers were called and the last prizes claimed, the sense of community spirit that defines the Feather Party was unmistakable.
For Franks and his department, the night was about more than just raising funds, it was about celebrating resilience, gratitude, and the bond between first responders and the people they serve.