Spencerport Fire Association’s Ladies Auxiliary celebrates 75 years of service

Back in the day, almost every fire department had a women’s auxiliary that focused mainly on fund raising to help the departments. Often these dedicated women were the wives, mothers, and sisters of firefighters. Many of these auxiliaries have disbanded, but the Spencerport Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary is celebrating its 75th anniversary of volunteer service in 2022. 

The group held its first organizational meeting on May 15, 1947. The Auxiliary had 26 original members, and Mrs. Anne Lamberson served as its first president. Lamberson, who passed in 2021 at the age of 101, was the Auxiliary’s last surviving charter member.

With their goal of helping to support the fire department, the group’s first fundraisers were selling dishcloths ($0.50), fruitcakes ($3.25), and aprons ($1.25), along with many baked sales and rummage sales. Fundraising has always been a vital part of this organization. Some forms of fundraising have come and gone over the years, but the auxiliary has always found ways to support the fire department and the community.

The Auxiliary has held various fundraisers through the years, including sales of candy, cookbooks, hats, and fish fries; holding car washes, card parties, election day lunches, flea markets, Fuller brush sales, grocery raffles, and dinners; booth sales at Country Store, Colby’s Potato Fair, Lions Club events, the Carnival, and Canal Days; craft sales; pancake breakfasts; raffles; rose sales for Mother’s Day; and wreath sales, just to name a few. For many years, the Spencerport Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary was known for its baked bean sandwiches at the annual Turkey Raffle.

Auxiliary membership across the state has declined; however, Spencerport’s has not. Currently, there are 41 active members with 26 being Life members. These members make it possible through their volunteerism for the auxiliary to continue to support the fire department and community in many ways.

It is important to the Auxiliary to support the community through various donations. Through the years they have donated to the Burn Bear Program, families in need at Christmas, Spencerport Ambulance, Firemen’s Home on the Hudson, DARE program, Shriner’s Institute, battered women’s shelters, area veterans, military service personnel overseas, Community Chest, March of Dimes, American Lung Association, Muscular Dystrophy, the school marching band, and have sponsored a Girl Scout Troop, a scholarship through the Spencerport High School. They have also donated hats, mittens, school supplies, and money to the middle and elementary schools, have purchased equipment for the fire department, and given gifts and money to the Fire Department Explorer Post.

The Auxiliary also works with the Fire Department to thank families for their understanding when one or more of their family members miss dinners and special occasions because they are protecting and helping the community. They hold various parties for the children of the department in the fall, at Christmas time, at Halloween, and in the spring. They also support family movie nights, sledding, and other events as they come along.

The Auxiliary is asking the Spencerport and surrounding communities for help as they put together a book celebrating 75 years of service. If anyone has pictures, articles, letters, or drawings of the Spencerport Fire Association Auxiliary members at events, marching, or in any other manner, the Auxiliary would love the opportunity to make a copy of the item to add to their history collection and possibly their book. Anyone with items is asked to reach out to Sondra at swood@spencerportfire.org. Any and all items are appreciated. 

The purpose and goal of the Auxiliary has always been to assist the firefighters of the Spencerport Fire Association in any way possible, and it has continued to meet this purpose and goal for 75 years.

Provided information

The Auxiliary Mission Statement:

The Ladies Auxiliary of the Spencerport Volunteer Fireman’s Association supports and strengthens the fire department, its families and the surrounding community with their time, effort and income. The Spencerport Volunteer Fireman’s Association Ladies Auxiliary is a network of diverse women whose purpose is to exclusively support the Spencerport Volunteer Fireman’s Association with emergency related services, entertainment projects and community and family programs and to provide philanthropic funding for charitable activities that are of service to our community.