W. Dundee firefighters are stocked for annual turkey raffle

A Thanksgiving tradition in Dundee Township rests on West Dundee firefighters this year.

They will be in charge of keeping the turkey raffle going while East Dundee firefighters take a year off.

West Dundee firefighters know their job, which they will work Friday and Saturday night, will be bigger than in past years. They will need more frozen turkeys, ducks and hams. They may have to turn some people away because their crowds may be bigger. And they will have to keep the spirit of chance going.

"We're ready," said fire Lt. Tom Lutzow. "We've already ordered more turkeys. Usually, we buy 572. This year, we bought 600, and we have more ducks and hams, too."

Hopefully they will be enough to keep interest high. But not too high. Firefighters hold their raffle at 8 p.m. at the VFW post on First Street in West Dundee. It's their job to know how many people will safely fit into the building. They can't break their own rules by fitting more, so they will be counting.

The West Dundee Firefighters' Association has been holding the turkey raffle since the 1940s. During it, people buy tickets for 50 cents and the fire chief, Frank Buhrmann, spins a carnival wheel.

The person holding the number where the wheel stops wins the prize. Sometimes it's two frozen turkeys, sometimes it's a turkey and a frozen duck or a slab of bacon.

Whatever it is, the winner usually jumps up and down, shouts a little and knows they have the main course for their Thanksgiving meal in the bag. No going to the store. No waiting in line at the check-out counter.

Until this year, East Dundee firefighters held a similar raffle on the same night. It's been going since the 1960s. But it became too popular. They held it in their fire station. They moved out the trucks, brought in some tables and set up a similar wheel.

"People would look in the windows during it and see there were no empty tables and turned around and went home," said East Dundee Fire Chief Mark Rakow. "We're taking a year off and looking for a bigger place to have it."

East Dundee firefighters have formed a three-member search committee and have already started looking. Wherever they decide to go, they want to serve alcohol during it.

Being able to buy a beer while you buy tickets is a big draw and makes for a nice night out with friends, Lutzow said.

"We thought about having it at our fire station," he said. "We'd move out the trucks and set up tables, but we don't have a liquor license."

East Dundee firefighters have a five-day license for their raffle and summer carnival.

The associations hold the raffles to raise money for equipment, clothing and public information programs the fire districts can't afford. On a good weekend, they can raise $7,500.

People walking away with the frozen poultry aren't the only winners. The Carpentersville-based FISH Food Pantry also benefits. People share their wealth and donate some of their winnings to people who can't afford to buy food.

"Eventually, I think we're going to have to find a bigger place to have the raffle," Lutzow said. "But, for now, we'll stay where we are."

If you go

What: West Dundee Firefighters' Association Turkey Raffle

When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Where: VFW Post, 117 S. First St., West Dundee