Yadkinville Volunteer Fire Department’s president Eric Ridings presents Gene Branon with a check for $8,000. Branon was diagnosed with stage four cancer this year and the fire department hosted a barbecue fundraiser to raise money to assist Branon and his family.
Volunteer workers sell barbecue plates to drive through customers. A total of 40 fire department volunteers participated in the fundraiser throughout the day, and several other family and friends also volunteered their time.
Sandy Wilborn and another volunteer take money from customers who chose to have their barbecue meal in the conference room of the Yadkinville Volunteer Fire Department. The volunteers and staff of the fire department were able to plan and pull off the fundraiser after only a week of planning and no tickets sold.
The Yadkinville Fire Department organized a fundraiser to benefit Gene Branon, who was diagnosed with stage four cancer.
“We decided that we wanted to do something to raise money to help Gene out,” said fire Chief Bryan Southard.” We decided to do an event on a Wednesday night, had a meeting to plan on the following Friday night, and one week later we had the event at the fire station.”
The station hosted a dinner, which featured barbecue, baked beans, slaw and dessert for $8 a plate. Community members could enjoy their meal inside the station in one of the conference rooms or they could drive through a makeshift drive through tent manned by volunteers.
The station was able to raise $8,000 through the event without ever having sold a ticket. News of the event was spread through word or mouth and fliers placed around town.
Branon was presented with the check at the department’s staff meeting earlier in the month. Southard said that Branon spoke at the event and it was a very emotional moment for everyone involved.
“This was the first time that Gene had been out to anywhere but the hospital since he was diagnosed,” Southard said. “It was a really emotional moment for all of us in attendance and it was very rewarding for us to be able to give him that check.”
Southard said that the event could not have happened without the help of local businesses and churches who donated time and items to make it possible. There were approximately 40 volunteers from the fire department and countless other volunteers that were friends and family.
Reach Lindsay Craven at 679-2341 or at lcraven@heartlandpublications.com.
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