Emergency volunteers honoured

 
By Brandie Majeau 
As wildfire season hit Canada with a roaring and overwhelming early beginning,
firefighters were left scrambling to keep up with the devastation and fight and suppress a
crushing number of fires that seemed to pop up at every turn.  In an effort to show their
appreciation to a small number of these individuals, The Radway Lions Club hosted an
appreciation dinner for Thorhild County Emergency & Protective Services First Responders.   
These individuals were invited to attend with their significant others as a show of
gratitude for their dedication during the extreme fire season that began this spring.  The
Radway Lions Club expressed their understanding of the hard work and dedication put forth by
the volunteers.  Hours of training, being on call, and sacrifices to sleep and personal time are
part of the day-to-day lives of volunteers in these positions. This dinner was proposed and
fulfilled to showcase that there are people out there who appreciate what these volunteers do. 
Thorhild County on its own has volunteers that range from seventeen years old to members
that are in their early sixties.  It takes a step back to fully appreciate the full implication this has
on their personal lives.  While these positions may be rewarding, they come with the heavy
knowledge that they may encounter situations that they would just as soon forget. 
Emergency volunteers strive to be prepared.  They push themselves to unknown limits
as they approach unfamiliar situations independently or join forces as a team.  There is a level
of devotion that many of these responders possess that goes unnoticed.  It is a crew that is
always silently waiting behind the scenes with a passion to not only be a part of their
community but to help and better the lives of residents by being the small few who step up and
say, I will do this for you.  The Radway Lions Club not only served a meal, but they also served a
heartfelt thank you to all of them.