The Mosquito Volunteer Fire Association (MVFA) held its annual Christmas Dinner on Saturday, December 6th at the Fire Station—and the Sentinel was there. This free community event dates back many years and is likely the longest-running MVFA tradition, first organized under the direction of its founder, Lois Pearson.
As always, the dinner was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends and meet new neighbors. More than 150 dinners were served, including take-out meals delivered to elderly residents and shut-ins. Santa and his helper elves also made an appearance, bringing holiday cheer and gifts for more than 40 children.
Special thanks go to the MVFA Board of Directors—Cheryl Owen, David Dudley, Natasha Cutter, and Trent and Mary Williams—and their team of volunteers, including “Santa” and his elves, for the decorations, setup, and all the work required to make this cherished annual event happen once again. Additional thanks to Kirk Bronsord and Matt Ridgeway for preparing a fantastic holiday feast of turkey and all the trimmings. We’re fairly certain nobody went home hungry.
MVFA has long supported the Mosquito Fire Department. Even when the Finnon Lake Recreation Area was closed during the dam reconstruction, MVFA continued to sponsor annual dinner events and other activities at the station. Donations from these events helped pay Finnon Lake’s maintenance costs and funded tools, equipment, and other off-budget items requested by the Fire Chief.
The annual free Christmas turkey dinner is MVFA’s way of showing appreciation to the community, its volunteers, and especially our firefighters and Fire Chief.
The Mosquito Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD) was established in 1972. In 1997, it acquired the Finnon Lake property to ensure access to a reliable water source for community fire protection. With the creation of the taxpayer-funded Mosquito Fire Protection District (MFPD) in 1978, MVFD reorganized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and adopted the name MVFA in 2006. Since then, it has remained dedicated to the safety and improvement of our community.
MVFA supports the community through educational efforts, events, and publications such as the Mosquito BYTE and the Mosquito Phone Book. Participation in MVFA events is voluntary. The organization is self-funded through fees and rentals associated with Finnon Lake, along with gifts and donations received during events.
MVFA receives no taxpayer funding and no financial support from the Mosquito Fire District or the Swansboro Country Property Owners Association (SCPOA). For more information about MVFA, please visit its two websites: www.gomvfa.org or www.finnonrecreationarea.com. You may also attend the monthly board meetings, held on the third Thursday of each month at 3:00 PM at the Diner. Much of the information published in the Sentinel is provided by the MVFA Board of Directors and the Mosquito BYTE, which is posted monthly at www.gomvfa.org.
The annual MVFA Christmas Dinner has long been a gathering where ALL residents can come together in the holiday spirit. It offers a chance for MVFA to thank volunteers and the Fire Department for their ongoing efforts to make our community a better place. Held at the Mosquito Fire Station for nearly as long as the station has existed, this tradition continues to remind us that—no matter our differences—we are still one community.
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