It will actually be a three-year celebration of the 85th anniversary of the Ladies Auxiliary to the Atlantic Highlands Fire Department when the women host an Open House and festivities at the Fire House Sunday afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m.
Restricted from a formal celebration of their 85 years as helpmates to the local volunteer fire department because of Covid restrictions in 2020, the Ladies Auxiliary is having the Open House Sunday both to thank borough residents for their support as well as to celebrate their 85th and every year after with music and refreshments for all.
“This is an opportunity for everyone in town to get to know who we are,” said the Ladies Auxiliary president Mickey Rast, “and it gives women the opportunity to join us in an organization that is designed simply as a support in as many ways as possible to the outstanding fire department this borough has.”
In addition to refreshments throughout the afternoon, the Open House will feature the music of Mick Burke and Brian Anderson, local residents and musicians who are volunteering their musical talent for the afternoon’s festivities.
Rast said there will be auxiliary members present throughout the Open House Sunday to answer questions and provide information on what being a member of the Ladies Auxiliary entails, and the satisfaction the women receive from their support of the volunteers.
“It isn’t necessary to even be the spouse, daughter or mother of a volunteer to join,” Rast continued, although nothing there are several relatives in the ladies auxiliary of members of the fire department. We invite all women who have an appreciation of volunteering to join us.”
The Ladies Auxiliary’s primary purpose is to be on call if the fire chief notifies them of a major fire where the fire volunteers are expected to be spending a long time and being assisted by outside borough units because of the magnitude or intensity of the blaze. In those cases, the women will provide both cold water and other cooling drinks, as well as hot coffee and refreshments for the firefighters as they take breaks or rest stops while fighting major blazes. “Fortunately, we have not had to provide that kind of service for several years,” the president continued, “but we are there whenever we are called.”
In the meantime, the women do conduct fundraisers I order to provide for other equipment or products that would aid the department but are not provided by the borough. As an example, their most recent donation included the three defibrillators now installed and ready for use at the fire house and on a fire truck.
They also assist at the annual Fireman’s Fair and sell the tickets for the department’s Grand Raffle, both the days of the Fair as well as in front of Bayshore Pharmacy during the year.
Currently, they are also selling caps and visors with the New Jersey logo and year the borough was organized as a separate municipality from Middletown.
The Ladies Auxiliary meets on the first Tuesday of every month at the firehouse at 7 p.m. They also have an annual picnic and a Christmas party every year. Applications for membership in the auxiliary will be available at the picnic. Interested women can also call Rast at 732-433-8510 for further information.
Rast also noted there will be a Dalmatian dog perched aside a fire hydrant Sunday, and a box available to enable visitors to suggest names for the new inanimate mascot. The fire hydrant will also accept donations for the auxiliary, though there is no charge to attend the Open House.
With Rast as president of the auxiliary, Cindy Fligor is vice-president, Jane Olcott is secretary and Valerie Freitas is treasurer.
