Holmesville Homecoming benefits Prairie Fire Dept.

  • Patricia Faulhaber
  • August 13, 2011
  • 463
                        
Prairie Township Fire Department is planning to hold its annual Fireman’s Festival (Holmesville Homecoming) on Saturday, August 27, 2011. It’s an all day event starting around noon and sometimes going on until 10 p.m., depending on how late the teams competing in the softball tournament play. There will be a chicken barbeque offered at the fire house with the volunteer fireman doing all of the cooking. Two live bands will be playing, one before the parade and one after the parade. Games for the kids such as coin toss will begin after the parade, which is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. A ticket raffle drawing is held in the evening. Participants can buy tickets from any fireman before the festival or during the event right up until the time of the drawing. “We have held the Fireman’s Festival once a year, every year on the Saturday before labor day for over 45 years and everyone has a good time,” said Josh Chrapowicki, captain of the Prairie Township Fire Department. The parade offers fire trucks from surrounding fire departments, classic cars and horses among many other units. It starts on Benton Avenue and ends at the fire station. Those who want to be in the parade just need to be at the starting point before 4 p.m. “The parade is really open to anyone who wants to be in it,” Chrapowicki said. As with every year, a Citizen of the Year will be awarded. A committee, formed with members from the fire department, selects one person a year who has contributed to the community over their life time. According to Chrapowicki, past citizen awards have gone to the mayor or to a teacher. The softball tournament is a big hit every year. You just can’t find too many ballgames that last the entire day, almost from sunup to sundown. The teams compete throughout the day to come down to the final two teams. At the end of the day, those first and second place teams usually win trophies. “Sometimes the baseball teams start playing at 7 a.m. and play all day some years ending around 10 at night,” Chrapowicki said. “When you get down to the final games, there are some really good ballgames going on.” The Prairie Township Fire Department currently has 26 volunteer firemen. All proceeds from the day go to help buy new equipment for the department. “This year the money will help buy general equipment. I want everyone to know that the new 2011 Rescue Tanker truck purchased this past winter will be on display at the festival. Everyone should come out to see it.” According to Captain Chrapowicki, the event usually draws a pretty good crowd every year. Many local residents come to the festival along with people from surrounding communities. People just driving through the area also stop and enjoy the food and the fun.


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