Fire department raffles 'unsmoked' turkeys this year
West Dundee firefighters again will be walking on an unbeaten path Friday and Saturday, Nov. 21 and 22, when they hold their annual turkey raffle.
This will be the first year in the fund-raiser's history their guests won't be able to smoke cigarettes and cigars when they buy 50-cent chances to win Thanksgiving dinner. For some, that may be a small inconvenience. But keep in mind, a bigger one will also exist those two nights; the lines to purchase tickets may be longer because East Dundee firefighter won't be having their turkey raffle.
Members in the Fox River's eastside fire brigade stopped their annual pre-Thanksgiving feather party because its popularity outgrew the firehouse, where it was held.
West Dundee firefighters expect more people at their party, said fire Lt. Tom Lutzow.
"Last year, we had more people come to ours on Friday. We had about the same number of people on Saturday," he said. "It's hard to tell how many actually came because people come and go all night."
West Dundee's turkey raffle is held at the VFW post on First Street. It has a bar, serves food and falls under the same smoking ban that started Jan. 1 in other Illinois restaurants and taverns.
On a crowded night, the smoke hovers over the crowd hoping to win frozen turkeys, ducks, cornish hens, ham and bacon. For more than 50 years people have been able to sip their beers and puff their cigarettes while buying tickets from West Dundee firefighters.
"It will be nice not to have the smoke fill the room," Lutzow said. "It used to get pretty thick in there."
After paying for the poultry and ham, members of the firefighters' association spend the money on work-related clothing or equipment the department's budget can't afford.
East Dundee firefighters did the same. But this summer they held a pork chop dinner instead of their carnival. They raised enough money to cover some expenses, said East Dundee Fire Chief Mark Rakow.
Organizers didn't buy additional turkeys this year, Lutzow said. They're hoping their usual order will last even if the crowd is bigger.
"We buy 300 turkeys, 10 cases of cornish hens, 40 slabs of bacon, and a couple of cases of hams," he said.
For the price of a ticket, people can win two ducks, and bacon in one spin. Many of those who win will take what they need and donate the rest to the FISH Food Pantry in Carpentersville. Volunteers there will give what they receive to people who can't afford to buy Thanksgiving dinner.
"At the end of the weekend we usually donate about 50 turkeys and some hams to FISH," Lutzow said. "This year, we're asking people to bring cans of food when they come to the raffle. The items will be delivered with the turkeys and hams."
The party begins each night at 8 p.m.