COOPERSVILLE, Mich. -- A classic 1963 fire truck is in need of a little repair work and the people of Coopersville came together Monday evening to make sure it gets what it needs.
It’s more than 50 years old, and to keep it running, the Coopersville community held a spaghetti fundraiser. The goal was to raise $1,500 for body shop work to remove rust and repair the split axles.
“It ties everybody back: the young, the old, and the future firefighters. They all know that truck and they believe in that truck,” said Lt. Brent Veldheer with the Coopersville Fire Department.
The fire truck has battled blazes for decades, and is now retired from fighting fires. But the town uses it in parades and car shows. The old fire engine is half the size of modern fire trucks.
“We had to suck the water out of ponds,” says Veldheer. “Instead of now where we have hydrants everywhere. So you actually had to draft the water out of a pond.”
The Coopersville community hopes to keep this relic rolling for years to come. Hundreds showed up for the spaghetti dinner, raising nearly $1,000.
Lieutenant Veldheer says another fundraiser will be held soon to get the rest of the money needed for repairs.
