Thanksgiving Dinner
for The Villages and Sumter County Firefighters
(click here to contact Station Coordinators)
Villages Public Safety Department Stations
Station 40 Station 41 Station 43 Station 44 Station 45 Station 46 Station 47 Station 48 Station 49 Station 51 Station 10 (Marion County)
Sumter County Fire and EMS Stations
Thank you for your interest in helping provide the Firefighters of The Villages Public Safety Department and Sumter County Fire and EMS Department with Thanksgiving Dinner this year.
This effort is to honor the men and women who work so hard everyday to serve our community and to show them our appreciation and thanks for all they do for us each day.
The goal of this effort is to provide all of the VPSD and SCFEMS Fire Stations a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner for those that will be working this day. Dinner will also be provided to the immediate families of the firefighters working Thanksgiving who come to the fire stations to join their loved ones. Additionally, any of the firefighters who may not be working that day are also invited to join them. Also, any of the Sherriff's or police department's officers working on Thanksgiving may also stop by to enjoy the meal.
How can you help?
Donate Food
The most obvious and easiest thing to do is donate a dish for the meal. Please contact the Station Coordinator for the station you wish to provide for and let them know what you are providing and to find out the drop-off time and location on Thanksgiving Day. Please provide any items in/on disposable containers, it means less dishes to do for the firefighters and no return trips to retrieve dishes.
We all come from different places and have different traditions and special dishes we like on Thanksgiving, please share these with our firefighters.
Cookies, pastries, and other treats are always appreciated by the firefighters, there no such thing as too many. These treats are usually packaged up in Ziplock bags, frozen, and shared with all the shifts.
As with the sweets, we try to bring extras so that the leftovers can be shared with the other station crews the next day. Who doesn't love a turkey sandwich the next day...
Sometimes we get an abundance of a food item at one station, when this happens the Station Coordinator will reach out to myself and the other Station Coordinators to swap items ensuring plenty for all.
You're not limited to any one fire station or the station nearest you. If you're not sure of what to provide or where to bring it reach out to any of the Station Coordinators and they can direct you on what is needed and where to bring it.
The food is collected on Thanksgiving Day at a location and time designed by the Station Coordinator and then delivered to the fire station. We don't want to overwhelm the fire stations with people.
All food items should be delivered on/in a disposable container or dish, we don't want the firefighters to have to do any extra dishes or have to return to the station to retrieve dishes.
Monetary Donations
We will also accept monetary donations to help in this effort. The money is used to purchase any traditional food items we may be short for any fire station. The funds will also be used to purchase Ziplock bags and disposable containers for the leftovers. We will also purchase soft drinks and sodas (several cases) for the fire stations that will be shared with all the crews.
Any remaining funds are delivered to the Chiefs to help provide relief and support for any firefighter and their families that may be going through difficult times.
Please contact one of the Station Coordinators to arrange a donation. Cash and check donations are accepted by the Station Coordinators and credit card donations can be made at the link below.
Checks can be made out to:
"The Gold WIngnut Foundation"
a 501(c)3 charitable organization.
Donations can also be made at the page:
Becoming a Station Coordinator or assistant Station Coordinator is a fairly easy job and will require several hours of your time. We currently have Station Coordinators for all of the fire stations, but they can always use help. Plase reach out to the station you want to help with.
The Station Coordinator's job is to be the point of contact with the fire station, organize and track the food donations, arrange the transportation, and ensure the smooth delivery of the food to the fire station. Also, they will work with the other Station Coordinators as Thanksgiving Day approaches to identify any projected shortages or overages of food items, and arrange for redistribution to the other fire stations.
If you are interested in being a Station Coordinator or an Assistant Station Coordinator, please contact Don Wiley at 352-661-6175 or at the link below.Become a Station Coordinator
Becoming a Station Coordinator or assistant Station Coordinator is a fairly easy job and will require several hours of your time. We currently have Station Coordinators for all of the fire stations, but they can always use help. Plase reach out to the station you want to help with.
The Station Coordinator's job is to be the point of contact with the fire station, organize and track the food donations, arrange the transportation, and ensure the smooth delivery of the food to the fire station. Also, they will work with the other Station Coordinators as Thanksgiving Day approaches to identify any projected shortages or overages of food items, and arrange for redistribution to the other fire stations.
If you are interested in being a Station Coordinator or an Assistant Station Coordinator, please contact Don Wiley at 352-661-6175 or at the link below.
Monitary donations for the Sumter County FIre & EMS can be made at:
SignUPGenius
SCFEMS dinner is being provided by Sumter County Commissioner Jeff Bogue. Because of the geography of the SCFEMS stations making food donations and coordinating these efforts is exteremily difficult. Each year Commissioner Bogue purchased a complete dinner for each of the SCFEMS stations from Publix, your donations will go to help offset this cost.
Villages Public Safety Department Stations
Station 40 Station 41 Station 43 Station 44 Station 45 Station 46 Station 47 Station 48 Station 49 Station 51 Station 10 (Marion County)
Sumter County Fire and EMS Stations
All Sumter County Fire and EMS Stations
