A fundraiser for the Walker County Firefighters Association will be held at Corner Pocket on Sam Houston Avenue from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 9. The WCFFA provides funding for seven area volunteer fire departments.”The majority of the money will go to the association’s general fund to benefit the outlying departments. They receive almost all of their funding from fundraisers and donations,” said Conrad Liles, a volunteer at the Huntsville Fire Department and organizer of the event.”Our normal proceeds from the pool and games will go to the firefighters fund. We’re hoping everyone will come out to enjoy some fun and pool,” said Charlie Owens, Corner Pocket owner.Owens said the idea came from a fundraiser the Black Student Alliance held there earlier in the year. After talking with Liles, the two thought this would be a great way to raise funds for area fire departments.About 20 firefighters will be at the event to talk to the public and let children see some of their equipment. “We’ll have an old fire truck there, and also one of our mini-pumpers,” Liles said.Liles said the City of Huntsville has five paid, full-time firefighters, including the chief, and about 38 part-time volunteers. “The other departments are made up of just volunteers. Those departments are who the fundraiser is mostly for,” Liles said.Other departments funded by the association are the Crabb’s Prairie, Pine Prairie, Riverside, Thomas Lake Road, Dodge and New Waverly Volunteer Fire Departments. These departments receive little or no assistance from the city and county governments.All of the departments have first-responder EMS units, except for the Huntsville Fire Department, which is served by Walker County EMS, Liles said. “The Huntsville Fire Department does receive part of their funding from the city and county,” he said.Owens said he and his wife, Judy, enjoy holding fundraisers for SHSU and other local organizations. “Most of our customers are Sam students. We have several bands including a Christian Rock band, Red Sky and the Jazzmanian Devils that play here regularly. They’re all made up of Sam students,” Owens said.Karen Epps, director of the music therapy department at SHSU will provide live music from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. “It’s really exciting,” Epps said, “I think it’s a great way to have some fun and raise money for a good cause.”Epps will perform original music, playing guitar and piano, and singing. “I would describe my music as Contemporary Folk, along the lines of Jewel, or Sarah McLaughlin,” said Epps, whose CD “Strange Catharsis” will be available for purchase.Corner Pocket opens weekdays at 6:30 a.m., Saturdays at 8 a.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m., and stays open late. They serve a variety of foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”We have a lot more business during the day now due to the quality of our food,” Owens said. Patrons can also enjoy pool, video games and other entertainment. There will be a $5 cover charge for the event.
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