ROCHELLE — The Rochelle Fire Department Social Organization will host its 102nd Annual Fireman’s Ball on Saturday, April 5 from 7 p.m. to midnight at the hangar at Flight Deck Bar & Grill at 1207 W. Gurler Road in Rochelle. 

The theme of the night will be 90s Country Music. Attendees are asked to wear their cowboy hats, boots and belt buckles. Entertainment will be provided by Back Country Roads.  The event is open to the public. Entry is $10 and tickets will be available at the door.

The Fireman’s Ball will also include silent auction items, door prizes and a best dressed prize, raffles, games, all-you-can-eat appetizers, $20 commemorative cups, and drink specials from Flight Deck staff. 

There will be a special vacation raffle during the event by Magical Vacation Planner by Stephanie Joelle. Tickets are $10 for a chance to win a $2,000 vacation voucher. The emcee of the evening will be Rochelle’s very own comedian, actor, writer, and podcast personality Daniel Van Kirk.

The RFD Social Organization is still accepting donations, silent auction items, and table sponsors for the event. RFD Lt. Tyler Carls asked the community to come out and celebrate a Rochelle firefighter tradition.

“This year we’re going back to a themed event,” Carls said. “We had success several years ago with a Roaring 20s theme and everyone got dressed up. We’re excited to have it at the hangar at Flight Deck Bar & Grill and we encourage everyone to come out dressed in 90s Country music attire.”

The first RFD Fireman’s Ball was held Feb. 22, 1922 at Woodman’s Hall near Cherry Avenue and Lincoln Highway to gather funds in case of an emergency for any fireman who may be injured, disabled or contract an illness. 

The Fireman’s Ball is now the RFD Social Organization’s main fundraising event. The organization supports funding community projects including the Battle of the Badges to benefit the Community Action Network, a Rochelle Township High School scholarship for two years of paid tuition to Kishwaukee College, the sponsorship of a Rochelle Little League team, and firefighter benevolence. 

“The mission of RFD’s Social Organization is to be a positive outlet for us to continue to grow camaraderie and give back to the community,” Carls said. “We can socialize outside of work and provide for the greater good for the community with things like pork chops sales and sponsoring teams. We like to be engaged with the community. And it’s important to have that brotherhood and sisterhood bond among our firefighters.”

The Rochelle Chamber of Commerce has been assisting the RFD Social Organization with raising silent auction items, which has yielded a lot of community support, Carls said. 

“Our local businesses in town have always supported us,” Carls said. “We always feel that support, both when we’re on the job or when we’re doing events like this. We typically get item donations or monetary donations.” 

Carls said he enjoys getting firefighters from RFD and the Ogle-Lee Fire Protection District together each year at the Fireman’s Ball, and early on in the night each year, appreciation is shown for firefighters and their accomplishments and milestones from that year. 

The Fireman’s Ball offers a unique opportunity for firefighter/paramedics to spend time with community members during a celebration. 

“We like getting everyone together and interacting with the community,” Carls said. “Unfortunately, usually when we interact with members of the public it’s on one of the worst days of their life because an emergency has happened. Events like this allow us to interact with the public on a positive note. That’s a good thing.”