What did they use the funds for? That’s often a question asked during or after a fundraiser.
The Milford Volunteer Fire Department has an answer. The 2025 pancake feed and silent auction raised enough money to purchase a new generator for the fire station.
“The community has been really good at supporting us,” Wayne Stohlmann said.
Stohlmann, safety officer, city emergency manager and EMT, said it’s often used for people who are stranded on the interstate. Having a heated building for them to stay in is a good thing, he said.
He said it’s easy to house stranded people. During the August windstorm that left people in Milford without power for days, however, the generator didn’t run.
The funds from last year’s pancake feed helped the department replace the old generator that didn’t work.
“The new one has the same capacity, but it’s a smaller size,” he said.
The generator runs on natural gas, Stohlmann said. It will allow the fire station to be used as temporary shelter during a storm or as a charging station.
Stohlmann said the Seward County emergency manager contacts the department to see if the station is available and then announces if it’s open. The MVFD may also announce that on its Facebook page.
“We have brought in food,” he said. “Sleeping here is not the best, but it’s warm.”
The new generator has an automatic start feature, and upgrade from the old one that had to be physically started, Stohlmann said. It runs monthly tests, also automatically.
Stohlmann said the department bought the generator from County Line in Milford, which also installed the equipment.
The old generator was 15 years old when the department bought it from Southeast Community College. The new generator cost about $17,000, he said.
This year’s pancake feed and silent auction, scheduled for March 24, will go to replace the department’s bunker gear.
“Some is getting old. You have to replace it periodically,” Stohlmann said.
Each year, the department uses about 100 pounds of pancake mix for its flapjacks. About 250 pounds of sausage links are fried, as well, on the two big griddles. Last year, Stohlmann said, the department fed about 500 people.
“It’s a big project,” he said.
Food will be served March 24 from 5:30-8 p.m., but the day starts about 5 a.m. when the sausage starts frying.
