News

Etowah-Horse Shoe firefighters treat Charlie to a surprise

Etowah Horse Shoe Fire & Rescue gave Charlie Beasock a fire truck parade for his third birthday.

By KATHY PIERSON, Published: May 16, 2020

The Etowah-Horse Shoe Fire Department did something special for Charlie Beasock’s third birthday on a recent Saturday.

It all began with a conversation between Charlie’s mother, Janell Beasock, and a neighbor, Kelly Morgan, a kindergarten teacher at Etowah Elementary.
“Our two older children celebrated their third birthdays with friends and family, but the covid pandemic made that impossible for their little brother,” Mrs. Beasock said. “I knew Kelly had some friends who worked at the Etowah-Horse Shoe Fire Department. I asked if it would be possible for a fire truck to drive by our house and surprise Charlie on his birthday. Kelly said she would see what could be done.”
Charlie got a surprise visit from Etowah-Horse Shoe fire trucks on his birthday.Charlie doesn’t understand what quarantine or social distancing means. He just knows he cannot visit his grandparents or go to stores or McDonald's. Charlie stays at home and watches his favorite cartoon, Paw Patrol. The character he likes the most on the show is Marshall, a Dalmatian who rescues others in his red fire truck.
One of Mrs. Morgan’s friends is Heather Huggins, the wife of Chief Mike Huggins of the fire department. When Kelly spoke to Mrs. Huggins about surprising Charlie, Heather thought it was a great idea. Later that day she contacted Charlie’s mother to confirm a 10 o’clock drive by the morning of May 2, if firefighters didn’t have a call come in.
On his birthday, Charlie and his two siblings, Willa and Henry, were in their front yard blowing bubbles when they heard the tweak from a siren. Charlie ran within several feet of the road to see what made the noise. When he saw six fire vehicles parading down his street, he became a little overwhelmed and hurried to the safety of his father’s arms. A birthday bag, with two large mylar helium balloons attached, was offered to him from the window of a fire truck, but he was still too intimidated, so his brother retrieved it for him.
The entire Beasock family felt overwhelmed by the generosity of the staff and volunteers from the local fire department. “We couldn’t believe they not only drove six vehicles past our house, but they gave him balloons and a gift too!” Janell said.
Heather added: “It was Charlie’s birthday. We couldn’t show up without a present for him!”
Although the family waved and shouted their thanks several times during the parade, Charlie’s father, David Beasock, also called the fire department to express their gratitude for making this a birthday their son would never forget.
“Other stations have driven past homes on special occasions, but this is the first time for us,” Heather said. “We presently have time for it because the number of calls are down, and training isn’t being done at the station. We enjoyed driving by Charlie’s house and seeing his big smile. In fact, we had so much fun, we did it again the next day for another boy’s fourth birthday. It was wonderful to see the look of joy on their faces!”

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A freelance writer and member of the American Christian Writers and the Blue Ridge Writers Group, Kathy Pierson has been published in several periodicals.