By: Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Kicking off Friday night and running through Saturday the annual Tiro-Auburn Firefighter’s Festival brought people out for fun, music, and the two day mud volleyball tournament.
Benefiting the Tiro-Auburn Fire Departments, The festivities started Friday with a beef meal, music from the New Washington Band at 6 pm, and Mike Risner taking stage at 7 pm. Fire Department Volunteer Aaron Waines was helping steam sweetcorn using a barrel and a 1915 Case steam engine. Waines explained what the firefighter’s festival is all about.
“We are supporting the fire department, and raising money so we can buy things throughout the year,” Waines said. “We are a small community and don’t get a whole lot of income so it all helps out.”
One of the highlights to the Tiro-Auburn Firefighters Festival is the annual mud volleyball tournament. Taking place over both Friday and Saturday 32 teams competed in the event which was wet, wild, and dirty.
Clay Fidler, who has participated in the tournament since 2007, was part of the Country Fresh Carpet Cleaning Team. Fidler explained that the tournament has been getting better and so has the competition.
“Plymouth is our big one, but this one out here is a good tournament. It has been getting better each year. I think this is the most they have had here, there is 32 teams so there should be some good competition out here.”
Competing in one of the first games Friday afternoon, the Musdlingers consisting of Paige Thomas, Bailey Howell, Zach Roberts, Nicole Mitchel, Paige Manuel, and Katie Shephard, had just finished play and were waiting for their next event Paige Manuel explained what it was like playing in the mud.
“It was muddy, but it was fun,” Manuel said. “Mud volleyball is great.”
“There was deeper water here, and it was clunkier on the bottom,” Howell added. “It makes it fun because it is harder to move.”
Satruday’s offering of the Tiro-Auburn Firefighter’s Festival will feature performances by the New Washington Band at 6 pm, rock and roll band Left of Center at 7 pm, a pork dinner, and day two of the mud volleyball tournament.
A photo gallery can be found in the photo section of this website.