LymeLine.com

Community News for Lyme and Old Lyme, CT

Happy 100th Birthday to Old Lyme Fire Department!

by

So much to celebrate! The Old Lyme Fire Department (OLFD)100th birthday event was enjoyed by crowds numbering well into the high hundreds on Saturday. Photo courtesy of the ‘Wicked Peach’ band, which entertained the attendees for several hours in the late afternoon and evening.

OLD LYME — UPDATED 7/16 @ 11 p.m. “Blessed, honored, humbled, happy.” Thus says a Facebook post from the Old Lyme Fire Department succinctly describing how members of the Old Lyme Fire Department (OLFD) felt about Saturday’s amazing celebrations of the OLFD’s 100th birthday.

The combined Lyme-Old Lyme Schools/Old Lyme Fire Department campus was alive with activities on Saturday all the way through from noon to 8 p.m. Photo by Troy Christopher.

It was a day of celebration for all ages with entertainment, games, food, vintage cars … and memories stirred by veteran members of the OLFD attending the event in person and the ‘9/11 Never Forget’ Mobile Exhibit.

The ‘9/11 Never Forget’ Mobile Exhibit turns into Lyme-Old Lyme Schools campus. Photo by Troy Christopher.
A huge ,elevated flag marked the entrance to the event. Photo by Michele Dickey.
Visitors streamed into the ‘9/11 Never Forget’ Mobile Exhibit. Photo by James Meehan.

Two NYC firefighters accompanied the exhibit and answer questions. The exhibit is free, but there is a place for donations, 95 per cent of which benefit programs including mortgage-free homes for families of fallen heroes or injured veterans; homeless veterans, and to help rebuild communities following natural disasters.

The ‘9/11 Never Forget” Mobile Exhibit was a highlight of the day. Photo by Michele Dickey.

It is “a high-tech, 83-ft. tractor trailer that transforms into a 1,100-sq.-ft. interactive exhibit with 911 artifacts.” There were two rooms on two levels. Viewers followed a path made by columns emblazoned with the time that events happened. The columns are arranged in a tight S-curve to maximize space.

Uniforms of NYFD firefighters, who made the ultimate sacrifice on Sept. 11, 2001, are displayed inside the ‘9/11 Never Forget’ Mobile Exhibit. Photo by Michele Dickey.

The exhibit is filled with a great deal of written information and videos, but numerous artifacts help hold the interest of even small visitors as parents try gently to explain what happened that tragic, awful day.

Barbara and Bob Pierson, former longtime members of the OLFD and the OLFD Women’s Auxiliary respectively, returned from their home in North Carolina to attend the event. Photo by Michele Dickey.
The vintage car contest, which was judged by popular vote, drew many contestants and visitors. Photo by Michele Dickey.
Close-up inspections helped visitors determined their votes for the vintage car contest. Photo by James Meehan.
Youngsters preparing to play mini golf were presented with appropriate headgear! Photo by Michele Dickey.
Mini-golf was a big draw for all ages. Local organizations sponsored holes in their own unique style. Old Lyme Fire Department sponsored this one. Photo by Michele Dickey.
Members of the ‘OLFD 100 Crew” were kept busy throughout the event making sure that everything ran like clockwork. Photo by James Meehan.
Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau sponsored this adorable mini-golf hole. Photo by Michele Dickey.
The food trucks on site drew a steady trade. Photo by James Meehan.
The Old Lyme Town Band also sponsored a min-golf hole. Photo by Michele Dickey.
Sales of centenary memorabilia and books were brisk during the afternoon. Photo by James Meehan.
Old Lyme Police Officer Stephen Hackett (left) and Old Lyme’s Resident State Trooper Matt Weber, along with his dog Tazz, join Troy Christopher (right) of the OLFD for this photo.
Three members of the Old Lyme Police Department took a brief break from their work at the event for this photo. From left to right, Officers Dominic Solari and Stephen Hackett join Resident State Trooper Matt Weber, and his dog Tazz. Photo by Troy Christopher .