As the Stuart, Menlo, and Dexter Fire Departments assisted with the fallen propane tanker on White Pole Road Monday, another group of volunteers dropped what they were doing to assist them.

The Stuart Fire Auxiliary prepared sandwiches and chili for the volunteer firefighters at the Stuart Fire Station that afternoon. This effort is part of the Auxiliary’s mission to support the fire department through year-round fundraising and other events. Stuart Fire Auxiliary President Ronnie Henderson says what made making an impromptu dinner on New Year’s Eve easy for them, “Oh, we enjoy that we’re giving our fire department the assistance that they need and require. And we’d just like them to know that we are here to support them and help them in any way in which we can do that.”

Additionally, they recently presented a $5,000 check to the fire department to purchase truck air bags and vehicle stabilizing equipment. The nine-member group was started in 2015.