Dungannon Rodeo donates over $17,000 to Lucknow Fire Department

BY SCOTT STEPHENSON

Last week, on a very snowy Thursday afternoon, members of the Dungannon Pro Rodeo Committee (DPRC) made their way to the Lucknow and District Fire Hall (LDFD) to present the department with a donation cheque in the amount of $17,160. 

 

The LDFD’s Deputy-District Chief, Keith Hodgkinson, commented that he appreciates the ongoing efforts of the DPRC. “They’ve supported us really well over the years,” he pointed out. 

 

Despite being briefly stymied by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dungannon Rodeo has still managed to raise over $40,000 for the

LDFD over the last few years. Last year’s donation went towards equipment and upgrades for one of their pumper trucks. “It enabled us to outfit one truck without stripping the other one,” Hodgkinson explained. “So we have a back-up truck now.”

 

The LDFD is hoping to obtain a thermal-imaging drone at some point in the near future that would dramatically decrease the risk to search and rescue workers by making it easier to pinpoint the position of citizens that are lost or injured in remote locations. 
The relationship between the Dungannon Rodeo and the LDFD goes beyond financial support. During the rodeo itself, Lucknow’s firefighters can be found volunteering in various essential roles at the event. DPRC volunteer Susanne Pentland, who also attended the ceremony, commented on the importance of the LDFD to Dungannon and the surrounding area. “They do a lot for our community, and they’re volunteers as well,” she explained. “So we like to help them financially. And they help us out during the rodeo. They help with parking, they do first aid, they do set-up, they do tear-down - they’re a big help, actually!”

 

The firefighters also genuinely appreciate the chance to volunteer at the rodeo. “We meet people from all over Ontario when we’re at it,” Hodgkinson pointed out. “And we meet a lot of firefighters from other places too.” 

 

Last year was Huron-Kinloss Fire Chief Jeff Bradley’s first year volunteering at the rodeo. “I spent two days there helping out,” he said. “It’s quite interesting and it’s good support for the community as well. We receive funds, and that money goes back into projects for the community, and back into the Dungannon area as well. We really appreciate the support. It’s a great event - the community comes out, and we get to meet them, and they get to see the firefighters on a different level.”

 

The 2025 Dungannon Pro Rodeo will be taking place at the Dungannon Fairgrounds on July 5 and 6.