By Sara Gregory
Salisbury Post
The oysters disappeared faster than servers could replace them.
Volunteers plopped 50 cases of oysters, at 30 pounds a box, one after another into boiling water and then served them Friday night at an oyster roast designed to raise money for the Fallen Firemen Fund.
“They needed help,” said Jabe Fisher, a Boy Scout from Troop 379 who organized the roast for his Eagle Scout project.
Fisher, 15, a student at East Rowan High School, enlisted the help of family, other Scouts and firefighters to pull off the event.
A total of 461 people attended the oyster roast at Salisbury Station, which also featured shrimp, fried flounder, clam chowder, cole slaw, French fries, onion rings and hushpuppies.
“The mix has to be just perfect or it doesn’t work,” said J. Michael Shuping, Fisher’s older cousin who helped make hushpuppies. He guessed he helped make thousands of hushpuppies Friday night.
Fisher got much of the food donated and received donations to cover other costs as well.
“We had to make a lot of phone calls for donations,” he said. “I didn’t think it was going to take this much planning.”
All proceeds go to the firemen’s fund in memory of Justin Monroe and Victor Isler, the firefighters killed in the March fire at Salisbury Millwork.
Twenty-two firefighters from Station 1 and several firefighters from Granite Quarry helped cook and serve the fish Friday, Capt. Buddy Miller said.
“It’s just busy,” Miller said. “Keeping the customers happy ó That’s the main thing.
“They’re going really fast.”
Contact Sara Gregory at 704-797-4257 or sgregory@salisbury post.com.