Morrison Fire Department breakfast serves over 1,000

MORRISON – The Morrison Fire Department hosted its annual pancake breakfast fundraiser Sunday at the station, where firefighters served more than 1,000 people.

The department’s firetrucks were parked in a nearby parking lot so the department could host crowds of hungry community members eager to donate to the cause. The goal for the day’s event was to serve 1,000 people, and Joe Bielema, a firefighter with more than 40 years of service to the department, said, “If you hear the fire alarm whistle, we made a thousand.”

The department’s Facebook page on Monday indicated 1,208 people had been served.

The annual pancake fundraiser is a tradition that goes back to 1999. The department back then needed to borrow thermal gas griddles from Albany and Fulton. As time went on, the fundraiser grew in popularity. The department eventually needed to invest in griddles of its own and even made a pancake griddle within the station. Nowadays, the fundraiser is run by a committee of four that rotates every year.

Fundraisers such as the pancake breakfast and the pork chop drive-thru contribute to paying for the station’s equipment needs. Using the funds from last year’s breakfast, the department was able to purchase new Scott Air-Paks to replace outdated ones. The department also received the Compeer financial grant to cover the majority of costs for a new battery-operated fan.