Rotary Club of Moapa Valley Hosts Volunteer Firefighter Appreciation BBQ
Submitted by Chris Green Photos By Rachel Brandes
Rotary Club of Moapa Valley Moapa Valley Progress
To honor of the volunteer spirit that makes our community strong, the Moapa Valley Rotary Club sponsored a BBQ Dinner for all Moapa Valley Volunteer EMT & Firefighters on Saturday, May 31 in the Moapa Park. All available Fire & Rescue Stations made their way to the park to enjoy a meal cooked up fresh by local Rotary members.
The combined unincorporated rural communities of Moapa, Overton and Logandale are located roughly 70 miles north of Las Vegas and currently have a total of 59 volunteers who respond when residents dial 911. Rotary President Steve Getz explained that when their beepers chime they respond, it doesn’t matter where they are or what they are doing.
“I think that is pretty incredible,” Getz said. “Every hour of every day for 43 years these volunteers have responded to the need. Any 911 call of emergency, accident, or fire anywhere in the Moapa Valley from the Lincoln County line to Echo Bay, on I-15 from mile marker 75 to 105 goes to the three Moapa Fire and Rescue stations. And for 43 years no matter what the day or time, good or bad weather we know someone is there to come to our aid. These volunteers leave their life, home, work, family, church to be where they are needed. We wish to thank all the friends and neighbors that have volunteered and still volunteer.”
In addition to honoring the volunteers with a BBQ the Rotary Club had asked members of the community that have received the volunteer services in the past to sponsor a shirt. A total of 38 community members stepped to the plate and sponsored a shirt. In addition, community members were asked to write a short letter about the service they had received. These letters were attached to the shirts and given to each volunteer during the luncheon.
Logandale Chief Scott Beckstrand and Moapa Chief Charlie Lindsey along with their crews were in attendance. Unfortunately Overton Chief Matt Nelson and his crew received a call just prior to the lunch. And, as if to demonstrate the life of our local volunteers, just as a group sat down with their plate to eat another call came and more volunteers rushed away from their meals.
Through local Rotarians effort, enough money was raised through grants, sponsors and the generosity of donations to cover the meal and a shirt for every volunteer. There was even extra money left over which will be used to help with the training of EMT’s. The shirts are a nice royal blue polo style which read Moapa Valley Fire & EMT on the front and on the back, “Every Hour of Every Day Since 1965”.
Rotary Club of Moapa Valley expressed their appreciation to those who helped make this Volunteer Appreciation BBQ a success. Lin’s Marketplace gave a great price break on the steaks, Sugar’s Homeplate Restaurant provided dessert, and the Mesquite Resort Association and the Moapa Town Advisory Board provided funding.