With the help of the Plymouth Fire Department, Plymouth residents Ron and Debby Rousu were able to give two of their grandsons an afternoon they won’t soon forget. On Friday, Aug. 1, 7-year-olds Alex Barta and Henry Eskola were picked up in a fire engine and taken out for ice cream cones at Dairy Queen. The special trip was all part of a prize the Rousus won during last year’s Night to Unite.

Prior to cooling off with swirl cones, the boys were given a behind-the-scenes tour of Fire Station II. Lieutenant Aaron Morris and other members of the department provided a rig rundown of Engine 31 and let Alex and Henry heft the weight of a fire hose and other firefighting tools.

“It’s always fun to be out in the community,” Morris said. “And it’s great to see the kids’ eyes light up when we show them around the station and our trucks.”

The boys were awed by the experience, but both managed to express their reactions to firefighters taking them out for ice cream on a summer afternoon.

“This is cool,” Alex said.

“So cool,” Henry added.

Night to Unite

This year's Night to Unite, the annual crime prevention event, is slated for Tuesday, Aug. 5. To begin the festivities, a free kickoff event will be held 2:30-5 p.m. at the Plymouth Creek Center, 14800 34th Ave. N., followed by neighborhood block parties.