The Lovell Volunteer Fire Dept.’s annual Firemen’s Food Baskets program is under way once again, with firemen, school children and the general public busy gathering food and donations for the drive.

Program spokesman Ralph Fink said basketball fans are encouraged to  bring food to the Lovell-Powell basketball games next Thursday, Dec. 17. Firemen will be collecting the food in conjunction with the LHS National Honor Society chapter, he said.

Meanwhile, food drives are under way at the Lovell and Rocky Mountain Elementary Schools, Fink said, noting that food baskets are delivered to all five north Big Horn County communities. The Byron Lions Club delivers in Byron, while the Deaver-Frannie Fire Dept. delivers in the two northernmost towns. The Lovell firemen deliver in Lovell and Cowley, Fink said.

Lovell Elementary School food will be picked up by firemen on Dec. 17, Fink said.

“We’re looking at around 130 baskets, the same as last year,” Fink said, adding that if anyone has the name of a family or would like to donate to the  program, they can call Fink at 272-0827 or call the fire hall at 548-6427 and leave a message for or speak with Bob Mangus.

“We need the name and address and the number of people in the household,” Fink said.

Baskets will be assembled on Dec. 21 and delivered that evening, he said.

“It’s one of the worthwhile projects we do,” Fink said. “We get a lot of support and a lot of donations from merchants and businesses, and we really appreciate that.

“It’s nice for people to have a nice meal at Christmas.”

Most donated food is in the form of canned good, so the fire department purchases hams, bread, eggs, cheese, butter, milk, cereal, cookies, crackers, potatoes and candy.