This year the 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. event will be held at Kirkwood Adams Community Center and will feature live music by Exodus Band, Chief Stacy Coggins said.

“It’s to bring the community together young and old, to establish trust and build relationships,” Coggins said.

Coggins said fire department administrative support staff Helen Reed has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to make the event bigger and better and solicit donations and sponsors.

“I enjoy children,” Reed said. “I enjoy the fact they get excited about it. It just brings us together. We are stronger together.”

(A barbecue sandwich fundraiser to benefit Battalion Chief Kevin Hawkins, who is receiving treatments for mantle cell lymphoma, will be held September 28 at Builders First Source on Tenth Street from 11 a.m. until sold out. The menu consists of two barbecue sandwiches, a bag of chips and coleslaw. Food is being prepared by DIRT Ministries in conjunction with the Roanoke Rapids Fireman’s Club. Tickets are available at the fire department or by calling Kenneth Hollowell at 252-532-7136 or any club member. Cost is $8.)

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The fire department will be giving out a bag of school supplies which also includes a coupon for free ice cream at Dairy Queen.

Coggins said the fire department decided to have this year’s event at Kirkwood Adams to beat the heat of past events and allows Exodus, a band in which retired firefighter David Marshall is the drummer, to perform.

During the event the fire department will have its fire safety puppet show, free smoke detectors will be given away until the supply runs out and outside there will be hay rides. The Rocky Mount Fire Department is bringing a giant slide and two of its firefighters to the event.

Halifax Central will bring Ready Fox, Halifax EMS will bring Andy the Ambulance and the Department of Social Services, Cardinal Innovations Health Care and the Roanoke Rapids Police Department will have booths.

Team Hawkins shirts and stickers will be available for sale to help defray expenses for Hawkins as he continues to receive treatments following his diagnosis of mantle cell lymphoma.

The T-shirts, which are lime green — the color for lymphoma awareness — are $12 up to extra large and $14 for sizes 2X and up. The stickers are $5.

Sponsors of the fair include New Testament Christian Church; Food Lion; Don Pancho-Resers; Coca-Cola Bottling; New Dixie Oil; Bobby’s Grocery; KapStone and Servpro.