CHOCOWINITY — The Chocowinity Fire Department and its Wilmar sub-station are gearing up for one of their biggest fundraising events of the year.

The annual barbecue pork and chicken sale is set for Saturday beginning at 11 a.m., according to fire chief Tommy Pendley. Plates will be sold until all the food is gone, he added.

“We’ve been doing this for over 25 years and it’s one of our biggest events,” Pendley said, adding that the department also holds a family portraits photo session annually as well as a spring car show. The department also partners with Raised In A Barn Farm in presenting the Six Nights of Fright event during the weekends leading up to Halloween.

Saturday’s luncheon means all hands will be on deck for preparation and serving of the meal. Fire department personnel will be joined by volunteers from the department’s auxiliary. The group will begin peeling potatoes early Friday evening and other food preparations will begin later that night.

“We’re cooking 10 hogs and 14 cases of chicken,” Pendley said. “We’ll also have potatoes, coleslaw and hush puppies. If you eat here at the fire department you’ll get a cup of iced tea, and there will be desserts for sale, too.”

The department expects to serve 600 pounds of potatoes and thousands of hush puppies, in addition to the pork barbecue and barbecued chicken.

Volunteers work hard to prepare for the event, which is much anticipated by the Chocowinity community.

“We stay up and cook all night on Friday and serve Saturday until we run out,” Pendley said. “We’re usually sold out by 1:30 or 2 in the afternoon.

With so many years of hosting the event, the fire department runs a smooth operation.

“It’s a drive-through, so if you are taking your plate home you don’t even have to get out of your vehicle,” Pendley said. “You just pick up your plates and keep on going.”.

Pendley said such events show how hard department volunteers work to serve the town of Chocowinity and outlying areas.

“It helps us show that we’re out there raising money, that we work to raise money to help the community,” Pendley noted. “And we couldn’t do this without the community; we appreciate everything the community does to support us throughout the year.”

Tickets may be purchased in advance at the Chocowinity fire station or plates may be bought the day of the sale. Pork barbecue plates and barbecued chicken plates are available, as well as a combination plate featuring both entrees. All plates are $8 each and proceeds will be used to purchase equipment for the department.