July 1, 1999

Strawberries, fire trucks delight crowd

       It was a two-day celebration that had the atmosphere of a fair — a car show, monster trucks, a dunk tank, karate exhibitions, carnival games, clowns, face painting and fireworks.  But, more importantly, there was food. The White River Township Fire Department held its annual Strawberry Festival at Sugar Grove Elementary School Friday and Saturday.  While most of the adults and teenagers came for the food —shortcake topped with strawberries, whipped cream and ice cream — three-year-old Brandon Wolfe came for the other things the festival offered.  “I like the ice cream,” Wolfe said. ‘But, I really came to ride on the big fire trucks.”  Wolfe ate about 10 bites of his delicious summertime treat before handing it over to his father, David, to finish eating the melting remainder.  The fire department uses the profits from the festival to help pay for training equipment.  With the help of Gordon Food Service, the department purchased more than 580 pounds of strawberries. Whatever wasn’t thawed was returned. The rest was sent to the fire stations for consumption by the firefighters, said fire department spokesman Casey Arkins.  Arkins hoped to make more than $1,000 profit this year to offset the low turnout of last year’s event at Community Church of Greenwood.  Many returnees from last year’s event said that because the church is set far back from Main Street, they weren’t sure a festival was taking place last year when they saw fire trucks outside the church.  During the first two hours of operation Saturday, Arkins said the department had raised more than $1,700, which was way ahead of last year’s numbers. Unlike in years past, when the festival was held outside of White River Fire Station No. 2, those who attended the free festival last weekend enjoy their strawberries and ice cream indoors. The humidity chased patrons inside to eat, and clowns painted faces and made animal balloons to keep children occupied.  This should be one of the more successful festivals we have had in some time,” Arkins said. “The turnout has really improved from last year. I think the fact that we are more visible had a lot to do with that.”  Activities June 26 included a car extrication and demonstration by the LifeLine Helicopter from Indianapolis Methodist Hospital.  Human “victims” in the car were cut out before it caught fire and flown to Methodist, just as if it was real accident.  “It’s just a chance to show people that come here what the money goes to,” Arkins said. “A lot of people think we just go out and fight fires.”  In the photo below, Mackenzie Goff gets her hand painted by Cee Cee the clown on Saturday.  (Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal)

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