Upper Saucon Firefighters Head Behind the Bar for Fundraiser

Dozens of Upper Saucon residents turned out at the Apollo Grill in Bethlehem Thursday night to see their local fire company take on a second (and in many cases third) job...bartender.

The fundraiser was part of Apollo Grill's "Therapeutic Thursday," a weekly event to help local organizations raise money for good causes. While the Apollo Grill is a little off the beaten path for many Upper Saucon residents, the fire company had an "in" at the grill thanks to volunteer firefighter Chris D'Annibale and his second job.

"I'm a chef at the [Apollo] Grill," said D'Annibale, as he passed around tuna sashimi and prosciutto-wrapped grilled asparagus. "I've been here for three years, and with the fire company three years." While planning the upcoming Thursday events, the owners asked D'Annibale if he'd like to host an event for the fire company. "So I said 'yeah,' " said the firefighter, before he rushed away to serve the hungry masses.

While the company runs a few fundraisers throughout the year, the company has been financially fortunate. "We rarely host these sorts of events," said Bob Jones, another volunteer firefighter for Upper Saucon. "We have a few fundraisers and an annual drive, but the township's been great to us, and the residents of the township are always very generous." Jones stayed long enough to enjoy the company and make sure the crowd was enjoying "fireman's punch," a signature drink for the evening, before heading out to help host state Rep. Justin Simmons' town hall meeting in Upper Saucon. For every $5 martini bought, $1 went to the fire company.

All the firefighters pitched in to pour drinks, pass trays of hors d'oeuvres, and "pass the boot," a tradition of holding a fireman's boot out to the public to fill with donations. To all in attendance, it was clear that this was the place to be to support the local fire company. Regardless of their comfort level behind the bar, members of the fire company couldn't agree more. "I've always wanted to be a firefighter," said Mark Schwendeman, a volunteer firefighter and full-time student at Kutztown University. "But I have no skill at all at bartending."