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Voters in Polk Township can also fuel up

At the Polk Township Volunteer Fire Department on Tuesday, Gail Andrews spoons stuffing into a takeout container. The ladies auxiliary sells meals to residents who stop in to vote. Behind her is Patsy George, the president of the auxiliary who just put turkey in the container before handing it off. On the left, Jeanette Beers waits to put the container in a bag for the takeout meal. KRISTINE PORTER/TIMES NEWS

When you go to cast your ballot at Polk Township Volunteer Fire Co., you also have an opportunity to take home dinner.

On Tuesday, the fire company’s Ladies Auxiliary again cooked up a turkey meal for residents to purchase and take home. Before COVID-19, they used to have dine-in available in the fire hall, but now its takeout only, said Patsy George, the president of the auxiliary.

The dinner consisted of oven-baked turkey, filling (aka stuffing), corn and gravy. People also had the option to have a turkey sandwich instead of a platter, turkey noodle soup, macaroni and cheese, hot dogs or just dessert. “We hope everybody enjoys it,” George said.

George has been president of the auxiliary for four years, and said the dinners have been going on for as long as she can remember - every primary election in May and every general election in November.

“The people know that we’re here,” she said.

They started serving at 11 a.m. and continued until they were sold out.

Last year, they sold more than 190 meals, George said. This year, she didn’t think they would sell as many, plus they were a little short on turkey.

“We had trouble getting turkey,” she said.

Return customers know they sell out, so by noon they already had orders posted for meals that would be picked up later in the day. A full meal cost $9. A turkey sandwich was $6, macaroni and cheese or filling $4, a pint of soup $3.50, quart of soup $6, and homemade desserts $2. All proceeds went as a fundraiser for the fire department.

“It’s a lot of work,” George said, but she wasn’t alone in this endeavor.

George had five volunteers help cook, serve, and check out the customers, plus volunteers who baked a variety of desserts. Her volunteers in the kitchen included Gail Andrews, Jeanette Beers, Eva Martin and checking out customers were Fern and Darryl Smith.

“I’m a fixture,” Beers said as to why she was there again helping out with the meals. Andrews agreed that she, too, was a fixture.

“It’s great. It really is,” Beers said. “It’s what keeps the old people busy.”