The Havana Volunteer Fire Department held its annual chicken pilau fundraiser on Thursday, March 2 at Havana Community Park.
The event, which lasted from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., was organized as a drive-through, with customers lining up along Sixth Avenue East to receive their meals.
For $10, supporters of the department received over a pound of chicken and rice, with sides of green beans, coleslaw, and crackers.
“We’ve been doing this for at least 10 years,” said Fire Chief Lester Beach regarding the pilau fundraiser.
Tickets went on sale at Stone’s Hardware early in February, and 300 were sold by the date of the event, which he considers very good.
Beach also mentioned that many people have chosen to pay at pickup in previous events.
“We tell people, it’s nice when you get a pre-sold ticket, so we know how many people we’re cooking for, but it’s not a requirement,” Beach said. “And we do have a lot of people who just show up. We put the signs out, and people going home to Georgia see those signs and whip through. Construction guys will come through, and they’ll buy 10 plates. We had that happen last year.”
Numerous volunteers made the event possible, from those who prepared the food to those who served it.
“I want to thank the town,” said Beach, “and especially the guys [who cooked the pilau]. I can’t thank them enough. Those are the guys who are there all day, cooking chicken, deboning chicken, then they cook the chicken and rice. Those guys have been here the bulk of the day.”
The pilau chefs were: Rick Sansom, Billy Shelfer, Robert Dunn, Mack Dunn, Newt Dunn, Tim Whitfield, and Jeff Vickers.
All proceeds from the event will benefit the Havana Volunteer Fire Department.
Stephen Klein – Gadsden County News Service
