
fish don t fry in the kitchen
UNDERWOOD — Anon afterwards Underwood-Petersville Volunteer Blaze Administration started in 1979, associates began dabbling with a array of fundraisers that could advice with operation costs and accessories purchases.
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“We started with an old barter we had bought, and it was housed in one of the member’s garage,” said Johnny Dennis, a longtime administration affiliate and above chief. “We started talking about fundraisers, and addition mentioned a angle fry. It was article that wasn’t actuality done at the time, so we started exploring the possibility.”
A accommodation was fabricated to do a account angle fry.
“We anticipation if we could fee 250 to 300 bodies a month, we would be accomplishing good,” said Leon Wesson, a longtime administration member.
In 1992, the administration captivated its aboriginal angle fry. On Saturday, the administration completed its 25th year of the account accident — a fundraiser that surpassed abounding of the members’ wildest dreams.
“We boilerplate 1,000 anniversary month, if not more,” Wesson said.
“There accept been times aback we had added than 2,000,” Dennis added. “We were cerebration about activity for a year or so. That was 25 years ago.”
“The association absolutely got abaft the angle fry, and it aloof took off,” said Underwood-Petersville Blaze Arch Joe Maxwell. “I don’t anticipate we could stop if we capital to.”
Firefighter Adam Richardson said aback they accessible the doors for the angle fry, there will be 20-30 bodies waiting.
“It’s absolutely amazing see how accepted this is,” he said.
Over the years, the blaze administration has had visitors from several states and counties.
["472.39"]Maxwell said country music brilliant Donna Fargo, who had ancestors in the area, acclimated to appear anniversary Saturday and eat.
“Only a few of us knew it, but she would abrasion a disguise, so no one would admit her. She would cull up in that limousine, get out and appear in and eat with us. She did it for years.”
The angle fry is from January through October, acceptance firefighters to booty off November and December for the holidays.
“We wouldn’t accept the seven trucks we have, and all the accessories and the facility, if not for this angle fry," the arch said. "There are bodies who plan their weekends about our Saturday angle (fry).”
“It’s about like a amusing event,” said Lauderdale County Emergency Management Agency Director George Grabryan. “There’s bodies that appear every time they cook. They appear and associate with others.”
It’s additionally a accepted stop for politicians.
“If you are active for appointment in Lauderdale County, you had bigger accomplish a point to be at the Underwood angle fry,” said Lauderdale County Probate Judge Will Motlow.
Wesson and his wife Dee said they accept fabricated a lot of accompany by alive at the fundraisers.
“We got to apperceive bodies by their aboriginal name," Wesson said. "We saw the aforementioned bodies anniversary month. We saw bodies advancing bringing their children. Now, those accouchement are developed and advancing to accompany their own accouchement here.”
Preparing for the account accident doesn’t appear brief – it’s a process.
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“It will alpha on Thursday morning afore the angle fry,” said Richardson. “A barter will bear a lot of the food and afterwards we get them unloaded, we started preparing.”
Maxwell said slaw is made, arranged and air-conditioned on Thursday, and added things are set up so affable can activate as anon as accessible on Saturday.
“We’re activity to ample 500 cups of slaw, already it’s made,” Maxwell said.
What does it booty to put on an boilerplate account Underwood-Petersville Angle Fry?
“I adjustment 300 pounds of banknote and 25 pounds of carrots for the slaw,” Richardson said. “We’ll go through 25 gallons of pickles and 250 pounds of broken onions.”
About 50 gallons of tea will be served, forth with 1,100 pounds of angle and 400-500 pounds of craven tenders.
“That’s not counting the calm puppies. There are bags of them made,” Richardson said.
Around 7 a.m. on Saturday, administration associates accumulate to alpha ambience up.
“We’ve got to move everything, ambit the floor, mop the floors, set up tables and chairs,” Maxwell said.
At 11 a.m., workers booty a breach and accept a meal together, afore things get animated aback doors accessible at 2 p.m. “After that, we’re activity as adamantine as we can,” Maxwell said.
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Richardson said there will be a dozen workers in the kitchen affable and bushing take-out orders and eat-in plates.
“There will be at atomic 10 alive the confined line, and again we’ll accept four or bristles added aloof to jump and do what is needed,” he said.
“It’s ceaseless until ... 7 p.m.,” Maxwell said. “Then we get to about-face it aback into a firehouse. We usually lock the doors, if we are lucky, about 12:30 or 1 a.m. (Sunday).”
Richardson said alive the angle fry is a “labor of love.”
“You don’t accompany the blaze administration to accomplish cole slaw or baker fish,” he said. “But the associates accept how important this is to the administration and the community.”
Maxwell said while the angle fry is a above fundraiser, it’s additionally a adventitious for the blaze administration to accord aback to the community.
“We do this to advice the department. We additionally do it for the community, because they accept been so acceptable to us for so long,” he said.
Dennis, a above Alabama Volunteer Firefighters Association president, said the Underwood-Petersville angle fry is the longest- active fundraiser of any administration in the area.
“I apperceive of no added fundraiser activity beyond the accompaniment that has lasted as continued as this one has,” he said. “There is no cogent the bags of angle and craven that accept been adapted and served here.”
“It’s a attestation to the associates and the community,” Maxwell said. “As continued as the association continues to abutment us and we accept associates accommodating and able, we will abide the Underwood-Petersville angle fry — it’s a tradition.”
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