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Communities pay tribute to volunteer firefighters

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By Melanie Lekocevic

Capital Region Independent Media

Firefighters from the Greenville Volunteer Fire Company marched in Saturday’s dress parade, held in Coxsackie. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media

COXSACKIE — The streets of downtown Coxsackie were lined Saturday with spectators cheering on volunteer firefighters in their annual Dress Parade.

Fire companies from Greenville to East Greenbush sent their communities’ bravest to march and ride in the parade, including marching bands, fire trucks and other emergency vehicles.

The parade was the culmination of a week of events hosted by the Greene County Volunteer Firemen’s Association Convention.

Each year, the convention rotates between fire companies, and this year it was Coxsackie Hose Co. No. 3’s turn.

“This week, Coxsackie Hose 3 did an excellent job from the first night, Tuesday, when the ladies (dinner) opened up, and then the men’s (dinner), and especially at the new location at The Wire — you can tell they put a lot of time and effort into it,” said John Farrell, director of emergency services for Greene County and a fire official with West Athens-Lime Street Fire company.

A fire truck from the Oak Hill-Durham Volunteer Fire Company. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media

The women’s and men’s dinners, held on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the Thursday memorial service for area first responders who died in the past year, were held at The Wire event center on South River Street in downtown Coxsackie.

Then on Friday night the annual Mardi Gras parade gave fire department members the chance to let loose and get creative, decorating floats, playing music and getting dolled up in costumes to march down Mansion Street to Riverside Park.

The culminating event was the Dress Parade held Saturday afternoon, with dozens of fire companies marching and competing for a slew of trophies that were handed out after the parade concluded at Riverside Park.

In addition to marching bands and bands performing in the park after the parade, the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Band — coming all the way from North Carolina — performed in the parade and then played the national anthem in the park afterwards.

The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Band traveled from North Carolina to march and perform in Saturday’s parade. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media

Coxsackie Mayor Mark Evans said Sunday the event was a great success.

“The crowd at Riverside Park yesterday afternoon for the trophy presentation was the biggest of any event outside of the Riverside Festival,” Evans said. “It was great to showcase Coxsackie, and I have received dozens of great comments about our village and Hose Co. No. 3, and what a great time people had here.”

Greene County Sheriff Peter Kusminsky is himself a volunteer firefighter and said he appreciated the big turnout for the parade.

“It’s a great tribute that we honor and recognize the efforts that the volunteers do for the community,” Kusminsky said. “Frankly, it’s priceless. They come out in the middle of the day, in the middle of the night, for no pay — it’s great for the community to come out and support us, and we are thankful for it.”

Here are more images from Saturday’s parade.

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