Shower of appreciation being organized for area emergency crews who responded to February 13 fire on Allamakee Street

In a show of appreciation for the efforts of the emergency crews who responded to and battled the Allamakee Street fire in Waukon Sunday evening, February 13 into Monday, February 14, and as a way to turn so many offers of help for themselves into further appreciation for those emergency crews, some of those Allamakee Street business/property owners impacted by that blaze are asking community members to turn their offers of help into a shower of appreciation for area firefighters, law enforcement and other first responders. Organizers of the appreciation shower are asking for donations of homemade cookies, thank you cards, gift cards or certificates from local dining establishments, and/or food and snacks that will then be distributed to those area emergency response crews.

“We want to show our area firemen and women, and policemen and women, and everyone who fought for our buildings - and our town of Waukon, they are appreciated and loved by our entire community,” appreciation event organizers shared. “They showed up at 6:30 p.m. Super Bowl Sunday and fought for 22 hours in six-degree weather and miserable conditions when we called for and needed their help. We used all the water in our town - they didn’t hold anything back and fought when they were freezing and hungry and tired. We want to funnel your offers to help each of us into tokens of appreciation for them.”

WHAT TO CONTRIBUTE
Event organizers are asking for the following items that they will then share with members of the Waukon Fire Department, Decorah Fire Department, Waterville Fire Department, Lansing Fire Department, Waukon Police Department and Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office:

• Thank you cards (created by people of all ages);
• Homemade cookies (see below for further details on homemade cookies);
• Monetary donations that will then be used to purchase meals for the men and women who helped;
• Snacks (chips, water, drinks, Chex mix, meat sticks, etc.);
• Gift cards or certificates to local businesses for food, pizza or drinks (can be in multiples of $5 or $20 amounts so they can be spread out among all departments).

WHERE TO CONTRIBUTE
Monetary donations can be dropped off by Monday, March 14 at Waukon State Bank in Waukon or Viking State Bank in Decorah. Other donations (besides homemade cookies) can also be dropped off by March 14 at Waukon State Bank and Impro Products in Waukon, or Viking State Bank in Decorah. It is asked that non-cookie donation items be dropped off by Monday, March 14 so they can be gathered and distributed to the various departments listed above in a timely manner.

DETAILS ON HOMEMADE COOKIE DONATIONS
Wanting cookie donations to be as fresh as possible, event organizers are asking that any homemade cookie donations be dropped off on specified dates that correspond with the meeting dates of the four area fire departments that helped battle the Allamakee Street blaze. “When we spoke with the departments, they all said they very much appreciate homemade cookies!” appreciation event organizers shared.

Those drop-off days and locations where cookies should be dropped off for each of those four departments are listed as follows:

• Waukon Fire Department: Cookies should be dropped off Monday, March 14 at either Waukon State Bank or Impro Products in Waukon for distribution at the department’s meeting that evening;
• Decorah Fire Department: Cookies should be dropped off Wednesday, March 16 at either Waukon State Bank in Waukon or Viking State Bank in Decorah for distribution at the department’s meeting that evening;
• Waterville Fire Department: Cookies should be dropped off Tuesday, April 12 at either Waukon State Bank or Impro Products in Waukon, or Paint Creek Soaps in Waterville for distribution at the department’s meeting that evening;
• Lansing Fire Department: Cookies should be dropped off Thursday, April 7 at either Waukon State Bank or Impro Products in Waukon, or Winke Law Office in Lansing for distribution at the department’s meeting that evening.