Mitchell girl, Mitchell Fire Division team up for fire dog statue fundraiser

Jul. 16—MITCHELL — The Mitchell Fire Division station on west First Avenue has many of the hallmarks of a small-town fire station.

It houses the equipment needed by local firefighters when they head off into the community on a fire call, and bright red trucks with their lights and sirens can often be seen sitting outside their parking bays. There's even a statue of a firefighter posted outside in tribute to the men and women who answer the call when fire threatens life or property.

But one young Mitchell resident noticed recently that is something missing.

"She loves dogs," Tyann Eldeen said with a laugh about her daughter Lakynn, who with a simple letter has set in motion a plan to add a fire dog statue to the grounds of the Mitchell Fire Division station.

The 9-year-old Mitchell girl was on vacation recently with her family in Rapid City when they stopped at the

Firehouse Brewing Company,

a local restaurant and brewery that was once a fire station. Upon entry, guests are greeted by a statue of a dog representing the tradition of Dalmatians serving as mascots for fire departments throughout the decades.

Lakynn was immediately taken with the statue.

"When you first walked in the door, they had a Sparky the fire dog statue sitting right there. She loves these little things and I took her picture with it," Tyann said. "And then we went and sat down and on the front of the menu, they had a picture of a Dalmatian dog driving the fire truck."

In addition to descriptions of the food on offer, the menu also had a few paragraphs about the history of the station. Lakynn was enamored with the idea of a fire dog, and was soon asking question after question about why a fire station would have a dog.

In between bites of sandwich, Tyann suggested she explore her interest further.

"I said, you know, the next time we see a firefighter, why don't you just ask him or her? Just ask them. And she said I think I'll just write them a letter when we get home. And sure enough, we're unloading the car and she sat herself at the desk and she wrote that letter," Tyann said. "She was on a mission at this point. She thought about it the whole way home."

The letter ended up on the desk of Dan Pollreisz, chief of the Mitchell Fire Division and EMS service. The letter told about her experience at the restaurant and asked why the local department no longer had a dog statue to go along with its firefighter statue out front.

The department has had a fire dog statue on display in the past, did not have one for some time. Pollreisz agreed with Lakynn that maybe it was time they looked at getting another one to keep the firefighter statue company.

"She hand-wrote a letter and explained that she went on vacation, this is where we went, and they had a fire dog statue named Sparky and it got her thinking about why we don't have one anymore," Pollreisz said. "She said maybe we could get together and do a fundraiser at the farmers market. She had various ideas, and what we ended up coming up with was a lemonade stand."

After a visit to the fire station, fire department officials and Lakynn planned to host the lemonade stand at the farmers market at Hitchcock Park on Wednesday, July 17. The stand will offer lemonade for a freewill donation, with the proceeds going toward the purchase of a new statue that is planned to sit next to the firefighter statue.

Pollreisz and Lakynn will be on hand at the booth to dispense lemonade and take donations. Other on-duty firefighters will also be on hand to help, and a vintage fire engine will also be there for visitors to view. The lemonade stand will be serving drinks and taking donations from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The association of Dalmatian dogs as firehouse mascots dates back to the 1700s,

according to the American Kennel Club.

They served as guards for the stables that housed the horses that pulled the fire wagons on calls, and were prized for their apparent friendly disposition with horses. New York fire companies began using Dalmatians in various roles as early as 1870.

While few fire departments today have actual Dalmatians as part of their crew, even as station mascots, some do erect statues in honor of the tradition.

With the Mitchell department being without one for at least a few years, Pollreisz thought it was a great suggestion.

"It's awesome," Pollreisz said. "We have not had one for a couple years for sure. Otherwise I think we've gone through a couple of them in my time here, so it's something that we just don't have anymore for various reasons. I think it's a great idea that Lakynn came up with. We're excited for it and the community is excited for it."

Pollreisz said donations are already coming in and that the department currently has its eyes set on a statue at

Statuary USA

in Sioux Falls. At around $420, Pollreisz expects that the full amount could be raised relatively quickly through the lemonade stand.

Lakynn's letter and the response is another example of the exceptional support the local department gets from Mitchell and its surrounding communities.

"We know we're fortunate to serve the community we do. We have great support and they love the idea that she came up with, and a lot of people want to participate in it," Pollreisz said.

Tyann and the rest of the Eldeen family will also be on hand for the fundraiser, she said. In addition to being the brainchild of the project, she will also bring some important experience to the event, having once hosted a lemonade stand in front of her grandmother's house.

But Tyann noted that manning this lemonade stand will be particularly special.

"She is beyond excited," Tyann said.