Firemen help raise funds for football gear

The Mountain Home Volunteer Fire Department has undertaken a fundraising effort to help the Mountain Home schools buy new football equipment.

Proceeds that the Fire Department raises from their booth in this year's Air Force Appreciation Day will go to help buy football equipment.

"We'll be helping with their booth, " said Coach Floyd, "and the money that they generate from that is going to the football program to help buy new equipment and pads to update the football program."

Floyd indicated they have had a serious equipment crunch at the junior high level, as they have 90 seventh- and eighth-grader students out for junior high football, with an additional 60 playing Optimist ball.

"That's 150 seventh and eighth graders, and we have to outfit the whole program," said Coach Floyd. "That's where honestly, most of my money has gone, and that's because when I first got the job, I went through their (7/8 grade) equipment, and they had shoulder pads from the 1950s, and they were still wearing them, too. So we made huge efforts to get new helmets and pads for them, and now, with all these kids out, I'm ordering more and more shoulder pads and trying to get as much as we can there -- it seems like a never-ending battle.

"We're to the point now, that we're getting a lot of the equipment that we need to gear the people, but we don't have the physical equipment on the field -- bags, upgraded bags -- and I'd really like to get another (blocking) sled. We bought a new sled my first year here, but I'd like to get another one, because we're always battling for sleds because we've got freshmen, J. and varsity players having to share it."

The Fire Department became aware of the need through Lynn Knudson, who is the Tiger JV head football coach, as well as being a fireman.

"I had these guys (the football coaches) come over and meet the fire department guys, because they (firemen) were always saying, 'which one's the head coach?' " said Knudson. "They got together, and I think it went well, and I think what getting these guys together is going to do is get the firemen thinking, 'hey let's go to the football game,' and they'll bring their wives, their kids, their friends, and that gives us more people in the stands, too.

"I just want to get the word out to the community that it's time to support the football program and the equipment that needs to be repaired or replaced. Hopefully, with the Fire Department donating the money from their Air Force Appreciation Day booth will help, along with other fundraisers. They're talking about doing some kind of a battle between the U of I alumni and the BSU alumni and see who can raise the most funds. Bud Corbus and Mark Moore are helping with that, and the fire department guys are all going to help. It just takes a whole community to do it."

"We want to thank the fire department for helping us and letting us do this," said Coach Floyd. "They always come out to our games and put their flag on their ladder truck, which is really impressive and nice to see. It's kind of a big significant thing for us to have them there, and we really appreciate all their hard work that they do for us and for the community."