The Co-op and the Fire Department

by Shane Smith, Outreach Coordinator

Paula and members of Central Station Crew

Sod Donation

For the past three years the Concord Co-op has sponsored, installed, and managed the lawn on Main St. where our neighbor, Red River Theaters shows it's annual evening movie at Market Days.  When the movie is over the Co-op always donates the sod to anyone who wants it and there is never a time we can’t round folks up to take it away to use on their own yards.  
  
This year was no exception and when we heard through the grapevine that two fire stations in Concord needed grass we made sure we saved a generous portion of our lawn for them.  Both the Heights Fire Department and Central Fire Station departments took several truckloads to be used at their respective stations.

Some of the new turf at Central Station

 

 Fire Truck Pull

The starting horn sounded on Saturday, July 21st at 10:00 am, as teams showed their strength by pulling a 45,000 pound fire truck along a section of Main Street during the Market Days Festival.  The Co-op formed a team of employees called the “Tuggernauts”.  With seven men and three women pulling a large rope we shuffled along on our odyssey to make it to the finish line with the 45,000 pound leviathan in tow.  As luck would have it we were the first team out of about a dozen to pull so we set the time to beat.  The Tuggernauts crossed the finish line at the intersection of Pleasant and Main to cheering throngs. 

Proceeds from the inaugural fire truck pull will benefit the Concord Public Safety Foundation by funding of a 3rd LUCAS hands free CPR device for Concord Fire, and seed money for a future Concord Police K-9 program.  This device is expected double the survival rate for heart attack victims for Concord rescue teams. 

The proud Tuggernauts with world's smallest fire truck pull trophy