La Grande Fire Department sparks holiday giving with massive food donation
By Joe Hathaway on Tuesday, December 5th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – The La Grande Fire Department has ignited the spirit of giving, contributing more than 1,750 pounds of food to the annual Elkhorn Media Group/Goss Motors Food Drive.
According to Chief Emmitt Cornford, the impressive donation stems from a friendly competition among the department’s three shifts.
“We have three shifts of firefighters, six per shift. So, we started a competition on the first of November to see who could collect the most food for the food bank,” said Cornford.
Chief Cornford says the contest aimed to foster camaraderie and support the community during the holiday season. He says the winning shift’s prize—a prime rib dinner cooked by top officials—added an extra layer of motivation.
“A-shift were the winners, they brought almost 650 pounds of food, which is great,” said Cornford. “It helped build camaraderie and also brought some friendly competition in-house.”
Expressing gratitude, Chief Cornford commended the turnout and highlighted the firefighters’ dedication, not only in collecting but also personally delivering the food to those in need.
“I’m just proud of the guys for the work they did, it’s a win-win for everyone,” said Cornford. “I’m looking forward to cooking dinner.”
