Fundraising Fish Fry for First Responders at Newcastle Fire Hall

The annual fundraising fish fry for volunteer firemen and first responders was held at the Firehall in Newcastle Saturday, May 4. The place was filled with people who came out to show their support. Chief Gary Bohannan said, “We usually have a good turnout every year. It takes everybody and everything to keep these small stations going.”

Gary Bohannan has been with Newcastle V.F.D. for more than 10 years, and he has been the fire chief for the past six years. He said they took over the fish fry fundraiser a few years ago to help with the sustainability of the Firehall. “The county helps us out when they can, but you still need other resources to keep it going; especially when there is a big fire season. We typically [spend] $2500 to $3,000 a day with multiple flats and rising fuel costs,” Bohannan said.

Sometimes it is easy to forget about the sacrifices made by the people who risk their lives for our safety. There are approximately 50 volunteer firemen on the Newcastle V.F.D. roster who are on standby for the well-being of the community. Bohannan said, “We have firemen who are active and fireman who are on the roster who can come help if necessary.”

In regard to the success of the 2019 fish fry fundraiser, Bohannan said, “It’s a lot of community effort to put on this fish fry. We appreciate the community for supporting us, and we look forward to helping them any way we can.”

I could not end our conversation without asking for the recipe for the delicious fish, but the chief wasn’t talking; he said, “We just add a little something in there and go by taste.”