Sharpsburg fire department has been raising money with fish fry for almost a century

SHARPSBURG, Pa. — The smell of fish frying as the grease bubbles fill the air inside Sharpsburg Volunteer Fire Department.

“We’ve been having a fish fry for about 100 years now and we serve 800 lunches and dinners each year,” said Mike Daniher, assistant chief at Sharpsburg Fire.

Volunteers start prepping weeks in advance for this event.

“Last year, some of the items just weren’t available. They were very difficult to get. This year, the supply chain is a little better. We just had to order early and make sure there was ample supply,” Daniher said.

Along with family members, there are people of all ages at fryers and dishing out the mac and cheese. It feels like a well-oiled machine with a lot of familiar faces.

“There are people whose great-grandfathers were members here and their great-grandkids are coming to buy fish here. It’s a tradition,” Daniher said.

But it’s not just for fun; the proceeds made at this event help keep this all-volunteer department up and running.

“Thankfully, our municipality helps us out with some of the tax dollars and this kind of helps fill the voids for equipment and training for each of our members,” Daniher said.

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