Stoneham Celebrates 100 years of Girl Scouts and the 100th Anniversary of the Fire Station

Stoneham –The Stoneham Centennial Fire Station Celebration Committee welcomes everyone to join in the celebration this Saturday, October 1, as the Town marks the 100^th anniversary of the first centrally-located fire station in Stoneham and the 100^th Anniversary of Girl Scouting in Stoneham.

The parade of antique apparatus and local communities’ emergency response equipment and personnel as well as floats celebrating Stoneham Girl Scouts’ 100^th Anniversary begins at 10 AM at South School. Weather permitting, the parade will also feature the Blue Knights motorcycle unit, Grand Marshalls Shirley Murray from Stoneham Girl Scouts and Retired Chief Ray Sorenson and Retired Lieutenant Bob Marshall, Pipe and Drum marching band, State Police mounted units and vehicles and the American Legion Color Guard. The parade travels north on Main Street, ending at Stoneham Fire Station.

Additionally, the 9/11 NEVER FORGET MOBILE EXHIBIT will make it's first appearance in Massachusetts at Stoneham Town Hall, welcoming visitors beginning at 10:30 a.m. The exhibit, a high-tech, 53-foot tractor- trailer, which unfolds into a 1,000 square foot exhibit, serves as a poignant reminder of that tragic day. The memorial provides interactive education, including artifacts such as steel beams from the towers, documentary videos, recordings of first responder radio transmissions and live tours by FDNY firefighters. Entrance to the exhibit is free of charge.

At 11 AM, five new Fire Fighters will be officially sworn in on the floor of the historic Fire Station and at 12 Noon, a commemorative ceremony will be held at Fire Fighters Park.

Activities on the Town Common following the parade, include Fun and Games for kids hosted by Boys and Girls Club of Stoneham and Wakefield and Stoneham Girl Scouts, tours of the Fire Station as available, food vendors from the local business community and an exhibit of antique apparatus along Central Street.

As with any big event, the Committee is also hoping to recruit volunteers who can help out on the day of the event in a number of capacities from parade set up to clean up at the event’s end. You can email the committee at stoneham100celebration@yahoo.com if you would like to volunteer, have comments or questions. You can also visit www.firenews.org and scroll down to find links to forms and information about the event as well as to see pictures from Stoneham Fire over the years. You can also use the #stoneham100 to post pictures or tweets regarding the day's events.

The Stoneham Fire Station Centennial Celebration Committee is grateful to individuals and businesses that have already committed to sponsorships and made donations to support the activities planned for this special day, including Lahey Health, which helped underwrite the expense of bringing the 9/11 NEVER FORGET MOBILE EXHIBIT to Stoneham. In particular, the Committee thanks General Alarm Sponsor StonehamBank; Four Alarm Sponsors Action Ambulance, Dr. Mickey & Associates and Stoneham Ford; Three Alarm Sponsor Arnold House Nursing Home; and, Two Alarm Sponsors Anderson-Bryant Funeral Home, C & S Properties, Cassidy Landscaping, Pignone’s Café, Salem Five, The Arbors at Stoneham and Weiss Farm, Inc.