Larry VanHouse
This Little Light of Mine
There are certain sounds you never forget. One of them is the wail of a fire truck siren when it is heading toward something precious—someone’s home, someone’s loved one, someone’s life.
I was a teenager when my family lost our home completely in a fire. Everything we owned—every memory, every piece of furniture, every photograph—was gone. Years later, while living in Tempe, Arizona, in the mid-1990s, fire found me again. An attic fire forced me out of my home for six months during repairs. But this time, thanks to the heroic work of the fire department, the damage was contained. Firefighters not only battled the flames but went room to room, carrying out my furniture and personal belongings to save what they could. I will never forget watching them work, realizing that those men and women were risking their lives to preserve mine.
That is why I care so deeply about supporting our local volunteer fire departments, and why I hope you will too.
In communities like Sparta, Fries, Galax, and Pilot Mountain, our fire departments are made up of neighbors, friends, and volunteers who respond to emergencies with courage, commitment, and heart. But these departments do not operate on magic. They run on training, equipment, fuel, and community support.
This summer and fall, you have several opportunities to show up for them in a big way.
In Sparta, North Carolina, the Sparta Alleghany Volunteer Fire Department is hosting its biggest fundraiser of the year: a demolition derby and figure eight race on Saturday, August 9, at the Alleghany County Fairgrounds. It is loud, it is exciting, and it helps raise critical funds to keep their trucks running and their gear up to date.
Just across the line in Fries, Virginia (pronounced “Freeze”), the Fries VFD will hold its popular draw down dinner on Saturday, August 23. It is a night of food, fun, and a little bit of raffle suspense, and it goes a long way toward funding their firehouse operations.
Then in mid-September, the Glade Creek Volunteer Fire Department brings the excitement back to Sparta with an extreme bull riding competition on Friday and Saturday, September 12 and 13. This two-night rodeo-style event draws big crowds and even bigger support for one of our hardworking local departments.
Do not forget the brave volunteers of the Galax VFD, serving not just the city of Galax but parts of Carroll and Grayson Counties. From their carnivals, duck races, and equipment fundraisers, they are a backbone of regional emergency response. Likewise, the Pilot Knob VFD in Pilot Mountain, North Carolina, supports its community through everything from barbecues to open houses, raising funds and awareness for the role they play in keeping us safe.
You might attend these events for the thrills, the food, or the fellowship, but when you buy a ticket, you are doing something much more important. You are investing in the safety of your neighbors and your own family. You are helping replace aging gear, pay for fuel, upgrade outdated equipment, and keep our emergency responders trained and ready.
And if you are lucky enough to never need their services, count that as a blessing. But know that for someone in your community, today or tomorrow, that fire engine might be racing to their home, their barn, their business, or their attic.
So I am asking personally that you show up. Come out to these events. Cheer from the stands. Sit down for a community meal. Shake a firefighter’s hand. And if you can, give a little extra.
Because when it matters most, they will be there for you. Let us be there for them.
