Soup, competition and small-town support will all be on the menu at the Pleasant Dale Volunteer Fire Department’s Second Annual Soup Supper.
The free-will donation event will be Friday, Jan. 30, at 5:30 p.m. at the American Legion building in Pleasant Dale.
PDVFD members will bring homemade soups, likely their families’ favorites, to the event. They will also bring a variety of dessert items and drinks. PDVFD firefighter Tanner Smith said he loves that basically every member of the department makes soup, and he enjoys seeing so many community members come out to support their local fire department.
“I just enjoy how it's a simple event,” Assistant Fire Chief Colton Wehrs said. “There’s hardly any overhead for it, other than the rental of the building, and it brings the community together.”
The PDVFD held its first annual Soup Supper in 2025 to raise money for new battery-operated extrication tools, also known as Jaws of Life. The department purchased them last year, thanks in part to the fundraiser.
Fortunately, the department has not had to use the Jaws of Life yet, but Wehrs said it is nice to know it has it for when the time comes.
“We had an old hydraulic-powered set of tools that required a power unit, which is heavy and cumbersome and doesn’t like to start because we hardly ever use it, and it was starting to wear out,” Wehrs said. “These battery-powered tools are a lot more efficient. They’re ready to go at all times, and you’re not tripping over hoses or anything like that.”
Money raised at this year’s fundraiser will go in the department’s general fund, and the PDVFD plans to use it for fire truck repair and maintenance. Wehrs said its fleet is aging, including a frontline pumper that is nearly 20 years old. Trucks wear down over time and are very expensive to replace.
“Sometimes, some of the stuff we get ourselves into, it can either be rough terrain or high-stress situations for the vehicles,” Smith said. “So, a lot of our rigs tend to get beat up a little bit. So, we felt like we need to raise money for that so we can keep them fixed up and running good.”
The silent auction at this year’s soup supper is canceled, but the department will still sell tickets for its gun raffle, which features seven guns up for grabs. Tickets are $40 each, and the PDVFD will draw the winners on Saturday, Jan. 31. People can also contact Smith at (402) 613-2196 any time before the date of the drawing to purchase tickets.
Wehrs said about 100 people attended last year's soup supper, and the department looks forward to connecting with the community once again. There are some open spots in the PDVFD, and Wehrs encourages anyone interested to join.
“I like that we get everybody in the community to come out and do this soup supper,” Smith said. “It’s seeing the faces, getting everybody to know everyone here at the fire department and to know that we’re here to help.”
