Firefighters steak barbecue on Sept. 13

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

A few tickets are still available for the Tillsonburg firefighters annual steak barbecue this Saturday.

Tickets are $30, and there will be a limited number available at the door of the Tillsonburg Community Centre’s Lions Auditorium.

Proceeds for the event will go to local charities, including the food bank, Christmas hampers, to help local victims of fires with no insurance and firefighters’ national charity Muscular Dystrophy Canada.

Attendees will receive a steak, potato, mushrooms, baked beans and coleslaw. It has a barbecue-your-own steak format, but there are firefighters who will assist with this. Youth under 12 eat free and will receive a hot dog and drink box.

The event starts at 4 p.m.

The event was started more than a decade ago, originally being organized to help firefighter John Kovacs, who was diagnosed with cancer.

“We got some money together for hospital and travel expenses related to his cancer,” said organizer Tony Hietkamp. “Unfortunately, he succumbed to it.”

Since then, the tradition continued with the beneficiary switching from a single person to a number of thins in the community.

The event also features a silent auction with donations from local businesses.

“We’re very grateful for that support,” Hietkamp said. “That’s where the majority of our profit comes from is form those items.”