Benefit, Raffle Help Fund Pineville Fire Department

The inaugural Pineville Fire Department’s all-youcan-eat chili and spaghetti fundraiser hit the spot for hungry folks and for building the department’s coffers.

Pineville assistant fire chief Gregg Sweeten said the fundraiser, held in late January, was very successful. The dinner had a great turnout, Sweeten said.

Pineville fire chief Ryan Drake said the department raised $760 from dinner sales and $1,370 from gun raffle sales. Firefighters sold a limited number of chances, at $10 each, for a Diamondback AR-15 rifle. Shelby Turner of Anderson won the raffle.

Money raised helps the department pay for the department’s new brush firefighting truck.

Firefighters also plan to purchase several new sets of bunker gear. Each set costs approximately $1,500, which only includes the coat and pants. Gloves, hoods, boots and helmets have to be purchased at an additional cost.

To aid in that effort, firefighters also will host an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast from 6 to 11 a.m. Saturday, April 7, at the Pineville Community Center. The annual pancake breakfast is a tradition which was held each year at the Pineville Grill. Grill staff hosted the event as a fundraiser for the fire department in honor of crew members helping them one year when the grill suffered a fire.

After the grill closed last year, fire officials made plans to keep the fundraiser going and host it at the center.