SOAP LAKE - People came in droves to the Soap Lake Fire Department's spaghetti feed fundraiser on Saturday at the Desert Diner. The fundraiser was the fire department's first event and several community members, including Soap Lake Mayor Raymond Gravelle, came out to support the department, donate some money and enjoy some spaghetti.

About $1,000 was raised Saturday, according to event organizers.

Soap Lake resident Ann Wilkerson was very grateful for the work the fire department has done in the community.

"I want to help out as much as possible for whatever they need," Wilkerson said.

The purpose of the spaghetti feed was to raise money to upgrade the department's automated external defibrillator monitors and refurbish equipment used on the fire engine.

Members of the Soap Lake Fire Department as well as other volunteers helped in all aspects of the feed.

Some were outside waving and dancing to attract attention, some were bussing and waiting tables, and others were in the kitchen dishing up plates for every person that entered the diner.

"Everybody's doing such a fine job," Lt. Debra Bowen said.

Even the mayor lent a helping hand.

When customers began asking for Parmesan cheese to add to their spaghetti and the diner didn't have any, Gravelle left and brought back more than six packages of Parmesan he bought at a local store.

With the added volunteers and equipment, the fire department shortened their response time from around 12 minutes to less than 9 minutes, according to Gravelle.

Maynard Hagen, who spent more than a decade with the Soap Lake Fire Department and nine years on the city council, had nothing but good things to say about the current crop of volunteer firefighters.

"They're just the greatest bunch of people in the world right now," Hagen said.

Hagen is proud of the department and the growth he has seen since the first of the year when there were only three volunteers.

"This group has just been really going at it," Hagen said.

The department is now up to 17 members.

The fundraiser came about $500 dollars short of the $1,500 goal, but Bowen was still impressed with the outpouring of support from the community as well as the work her fellow volunteers did serving the customers.

Along with the money raised from the spaghetti feed, the fire department has also received donations of $1,200 from Soap Lake residents and $500 from Gary Gregg, the owner of Cougar Liquor.

Laurel Shields, wife of Fire Chief Dan Shields, was extremely grateful for the support shown.

"I think our community is awesome," she said.