The four factors featured during Family Fair, Fire Prevention Week
Firefighters, families, fun and food were the four factors featured during the 10th-annual Family Fair and National Fire Prevention Week community activity held Tuesday evening, October 11, at the Mountain Lake Fire Station. The event, hosted and sponsored by the Mountain Lake Fire Department and Mountain Lake Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) – in partnership with the Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) – was for families with children up to 12 years of age. The Family Fair is held each year in conjunction with National Fire Prevention Week.
Families visiting the fire station were able to get an up-close look at the fire-fighting vehicles and individual firefighter gear, as well as visit booths representing community and county agencies in order to gather information and participate in a variety of activities and crafts.
In addition, each child attending received a free book and Junior Firefighter sticker courtesy of ECI, made a fall sticker art project and added a firefighter-themed tattoo, both sponsored by ECFE and completed completing other games and activities presented by the participating vendors.
A free supper of sloppy Joes, chips, raw veggies, cookie and beverage was served courtesy of Good Samaritan Society of Mountain Lake.
Turn-out was strong on the evening, with 212 attending, including 84 adults, 73 children ages 0-5 and 55 children from kindergarten-to-grade-six.
Below is a Family Fair photo gallery:
YOUNGSTERS PARTICIPATING IN ECFE created a poster thanking the firefighters for being their heroes. Hanging it in the fire station prior to the Family Fair are, at left, Sara Nickel and her daughter, Kirstin Nickel, and at right, Deb Warwick.
JADA LOUANGSAPHAKDY IS all smiles as she shows the free book she selected – a Paw Patrol firefighter-themed title, Itty-Bitty Kitty Rescue.
MATTHEW SUMNER SPORTS a “I’m a proud Junior Firefighter” sticker – channeling his dad, Jason Sumner, who is a real life firefighter with Mountain Lake Fire & Rescue.
THE FOOD CREW is on duty. Serving up the sloppy Joes as front are Jean Haberman and Reva Hulzebos, at the giant beverage cooler is firefighter Steve Peters, assisted by firefighter cohorts Dave Watkins, Daron Friesen and Mark Pankratz.
RILEY HANSON, LEFT, and Ally Hanson, right, are “Gone Fishin'” for prizes at the Sanford Health-Mountain Lake Clinic booth.
MOUNTAIN LAKE PUBLIC High School sophomore – and foreign exchange student from Prague, Czech Republic – Lucie Havlicková spent the Family Fair popping up fresh batches and bags-full of popcorn.
PROMOTING HEALTH EATING and physical activities at the Des Moines Valley Health and Human Services booth. Adding in that cause is Amber Hughes, left.
MALACHI LUGO GRINS at his fire hydrant temporary tattoo, applied by Rachel Potter at the ECFE booth.
EZRA SAVAGE IS hard at work on his fall scene sticker art project.
MOM KATIE LESSMEIER, right, gives her daughter, Avery, left, an assist down after Avery explored the entire inside of the Mountain Lake Fire & Rescue Department’s rescue truck. The entire fleet of firefighting equipment was available for families to check out.
