Police, EMS, Fire battle for food
By Andy Steinke, Dells Events
For the second straight November leading up to Thanksgiving the local emergency services departments will be gathering food to donate to the Central Wisconsin Community Action Council food pantry.
Once again dubbed the Battle of the Badges, Lake Delton Police, Wisconsin Dells Police, Delton Fire, Kilbourn Fire and Dells-Delton EMS will compete for a traveling trophy while raising food for the pantry from Nov. 1 to 19.
Joining them this year are a number of local businesses, which have agreed to set up a drop off spot for food, give discounts to patrons donating food or both.
Businesses participating this year are the following:
- Marley’s — 20 percent off food with a donation,
- Wilderness Resort — donation sites for employees,
- House of Embers — 50th anniversary fundraiser Nov. 8, free admission and ribs with a donation of $5 or $5 worth of food,
- Denny’s Classic — donation location,
- Lake Delton and Broadway Mobil stations —free small fountain drink or coffee with donation,
- Knucklehead’s — one free game of bowling and shoe rental with a donation of five items,
- Buffalo Phil’s —20 percent off entire bill, excluding alcohol, with the donation of one item,
- Moosejaw Pizza —20 percent off entire bill, excluding alcohol, with the donation of one item,
- Pizza Pub — 20 percent off food order with a donation of $5 or more,
- Subway (Wal-Mart and Wisconsin Dells Parkway locations) — free cookie with a food donation and a sandwich purchase.
Residents can support their local department by dropping off food or toiletries at the departments.
If they chose to drop off their donation at one of the businesses, they can fill out a form indicating which department they want their food to count toward, said Battle of the Badges organizer Darren Jorgenson, a Lake Delton police officer and Delton Fire captain.
“I’m hoping a lot of citizens will take advantage of the discounts the businesses are offering,” he said, “and that it will increase our food intake. And we will see which department is most popular.”
Last year’s most popular department was the Delton Fire Department, which collected about 1,800 items. The five departments collectively donated about 4,500 items last year.
House of Embers co-owner Mike Obois is hoping his business can help dethrone the champion.
“We want the Lake Delton Police Department to crush all the other departments,” he said, “just destroy and humiliate them.”
House of Embers will only be collecting food for the drive Nov. 8, but plans to donate it all to the Lake Delton Police Department.
Dells-Delton EMS Director Janene Clark said she wants to win, but said the drive is for a good cause regardless of who wins.
“We are hoping to get what the food pantry needs to see, what they are hurting for,” she said.
Jorgenson said the food pantry is always looking for non-perishable food items, but also needs toiletries, which aren’t always brought in.