Shannon Sprague has 14 years of service in as a firefighter with the Springfield Township Fire Department. In those 14 years, she readily admits that she never saw anything the likes of what she saw on the evening of November 5 at the Springfield Township Fire Department Feather Party. Looking over the attendance figures, she said, “At one point, we had 407 written down, but I know that I watched at least 15 more coming in, so I know that there’s well over 420 in there…and that’s not counting us. This is, officially, our biggest turnout.”
Imagine the impossibility of finding a parking space within short walking distance. There’s your starting point. Once inside the building, you could see that every available table was set up in the truck bays, as was every available chair. Despite going to the maximum, there were no chairs or table spots left unoccupied. Even if more chairs and tables were available, there would have been no place to set them up. Well into the Bingo games, Shannon and Larry Davis could still be seen flying around a food service line that was perpetually busy.
With the proceeds of the event being divided between the fire department and the Christmas for Kids program, a large sum of money was still being tabulated late into the night. That money was contributed by those who wanted in on either the Bingo games, the 50-50 drawing which surpassed $600, a drawing for a side of beef, and so much more. Payouts for the Bingo games ranged from turkeys, to hams, to one or the other…plus cash. Due to the sheer numbers of those playing, tiebreakers were frequently required. The Bingo games were called by none other than Rick Small of 98.1 The Mix, who added an ample dose of his unique humor to the evening.
Asked to describe the scene in the truck bays, Shannon had an immediate reply…”Amazing…and crazy, all at the same time!” Continuing, she said, “It’s a fun family night to bring the kids out, but it’s crazy on us because it’s been non-stop. It’s a community thing, and it’s great fun.”
There’s no doubt that the turnout was a record high, and there’s no doubt as to why. The Village of Stryker is a tightly knit community, where the citizens support each other, and their emergency service providers. On a night like this, that support was more than apparent, from the overflowing parking lots to the overflowing truck bays.
Timothy Kays can be reached at tim@thevillagereporter.com