10 Custer County Fire Departments Receive $5,700+ Each

10 Custer County Fire Departments Receive $5,700+ Each
Custer County Foundation presents checks of more than $5,700 each to 10 area volunteer fire departments on June 23.

I'm not surprised! Custer County is a very generous community so we were really excited about it

- Lindsay Cook

BROKEN BOW–Following a several-week long campaign to raise money for local fire departments, the Custer County Foundation held its much anticipated check presentation in the Broken Bow City Square on Thursday, June 23.

A total of $57,582.07 was raised as part of the fire department assistance fund with 94 individuals and businesses contributing their generous donations. That total includes $10,000 courtesy of the Yanagida Challenge Match.

Custer County Foundation President Alicia Hermsmeyer

Custer County Foundation Executive Director Lindsay Cook said the funds are unrestricted and each fire department can use the funds however they need; to update equipment, buy new equipment, use for training, etc.

“We had a board member who came to one of our meetings with the idea of raising some funds to help support all these local fire departments because of all the added fires that we’d been experiencing and low and behold we raised $57,582.07 and there were 94 individuals/businesses that donated to the fund,” Cook said.

This past spring may go in the books as a record-breaking year when it comes to grass and structure fires with some fire departments already receiving more calls at this point in the summer than the yearly average. The Custer County Foundation fire department campaign was designed to assist volunteer fire departments in whatever ways they need.

“I’m not surprised! Custer County is a very generous community so we were really excited about it,” Cook told KCNI/KBBN.

Foundation President Alicia Hermsmeyer presented individual checks for $5,758.21 each to the volunteer fire departments of Anselmo, Ansley, Arnold, Broken Bow, Callaway, Comstock, Mason City, Merna, Oconto, and Sargent.

Broken Bow Volunteer Fire Department ladder truck
Broken Bow Volunteer Fire Department prepares to open its fireworks trailer on Saturday, June 25.
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