By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
For 17 years, the Great Bend Fire Department hosted a spaghetti feed as a fundraiser. The event, usually in early November, would raise money through ticket sales and raffles so the fire department can give back to the community.
Firefighter Chad Burroughs, leading the Social and Charities committee for GBFD, said it was time to change directions with the department’s fundraiser.
"The spaghetti feed doesn't seem like it would very labor intensive, but it takes a lot of people to pull that off," said Burroughs. "Everybody is so busy that it was getting hard to get the people needed to pull that off. I was looking for something that us firemen can enjoy too, as well as members of the community."
Getting rid of the spaghetti feed, the Great Bend Fire Department will launch their first Holiday Extravaganza on Dec. 2. The Christmas-themed event will sell $40 tickets for the fundraiser that will begin at 5 p.m. at the Great Bend Events Center. The night will include a dinner from Boots Style BBQ and entertainment from Dueling Pianos Road Show.
Burroughs said tickets will go on sale online Oct. 1.
"We will generate a QR code with that and post it on our social media and posters," said Burroughs. "The QR code will take people directly to the site to purchase tickets. At the event, we'll have a handful of raffle prizes. Tickets for the raffle will only be sold at the door."
Tickets will also include one drink ticket. Burroughs said there will be 600 tickets available for the Great Bend Fire Department Holiday Extravaganza.