The Mt. Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department and Auxiliary held their annual Awards Banquet
and Installation of Officers ceremony at the Mt. Pleasant Lions Club on Saturday evening, Feb.
10.
the Mt. Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department and Auxiliary Awards Banquet on Feb. 10. Pictured
left to right are William Prescott, Chaplain; Ruth Puckett, Secretary; Adam Dean, Vice
President; Ken Henson, President; Cody Southers, Second Lieutenant; Robert Hurd, First
Lieutenant; Pete DiGregorio, Captain; Lori Campbell, Treasurer and Assistant Chief; and Eric
Stump, Chief. (photos courtesy of MPVFD)
Over 50 people, including firefighters and their family members, attended the banquet along with
Station 6 Career Firefighter/Paramedics Donnie Blankenship and Forrest Kiger, and EMTs Brett
Lovell and two crew members from the Vinton First Aid Crew. Musical entertainment was
provided by DJ Pat Musselwhite from the Mt. Pleasant Lions Club.
Special recognition was given to Asst. Chief Lori Campbell and Firefighter Ruth Puckett for
being voted the T.E. “Gene” Wagner Officer of the Year and Winston B. Adams, Firefighter of
the Year, respectively, as voted on by the membership.
Also recognized were Captain Pete DiGregorio and Firefighter Cody Southers for winning the
Harvey Light Highest Number of Calls Award, and Firefighters Chris Kenyon, Bekah
DiGregorio, and Michaela “Max” Pagans for winning the Kali G. Hurd Top Training Hours
Award.
These annual awards honor and remember important past volunteers who laid the foundations of
community service through the Mt. Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department.
T.E. “Gene” Wagner was a former, long-standing chief in the department who pushed members
to be their best by demanding professionalism on calls and serving the Mt. Pleasant community.
Winston B. Adams was a dedicated founding member who served as treasurer for many years.
Harvey Light, another founding member, was a department legend for having run every single
call– day and night– during his many years of service.
Kali Hurd began as a teenage volunteer, earned her Firefighter/EMT certifications, and also
became a career firefighter with the City of Roanoke; her career was cut short way too soon by
cancer in 2017.
Kali G. Hurd Top Training Hours Award to “Max” Pagans in memory of Kali Hurd, who began
as a teenage volunteer, earned her Firefighter/EMT certifications, and became a career firefighter
with the City of Roanoke.
Hurd was also remembered with the dedication of a memorial plaque with her photo emblazoned
on a fire helmet “leather,” or shield. Members of her family, including her mother Kim, father
Rodney, brother Lt. Robert Hurd, and sister Miranda were presented with the plaque that will
hang in the Station 6 Community Room.
presented a plaque in her memory. (pictured are her brother, Robert Hurd, with parents Rodney and Kim.
The banquet was also an occasion to install the officers of the MPVFD and Auxiliary for 2024.
Leading the company this year will be Chief Eric Stump, Asst. Chief and Treasurer Lori
Campbell, Capt. Pete DiGregorio, 1st. Lt. Robert Hurd, 2nd Lt. Cody Southers, President Kent
Henson, Vice President Adam Dean, Secretary Ruth Puckett, and Chaplain Will Prescott.
This year’s Auxiliary Officers are President Alice Sheets, Vice President Lori Campbell,
Secretary Layla England, Treasurer Craig Sheets, Chaplain Will Prescott, and Historian Carla
Pickeral.
The Oath of Office was administered by Craig Sheets.
The Mt. Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department, serving as part of the greater Roanoke County Fire
Department, has served the Mt. Pleasant and surrounding communities since 1955. Its motto is
“Pride and Honor.”
Submitted by Mt. Pleasant Volunteer Fire Dept. and Auxiliary
