It’s time for booya in Apple Valley
Each year, Apple Valley firefighters begin the cooking process a day in advance of their booya fundraiser. They start serving the 400 or so gallons of meat- and vegetable-filled stew they’ve prepared in the late morning, and it usually sells out by about 3 o’clock. (File photo)
Firefighters’ annual booya event Sept. 15
For Apple Valley firefighters, cooking booya means burning the midnight oil.
Under the watchful eye of head cook and retired Assistant Fire Chief Dan Engel, firefighters begin preparing the savory stew a day in advance of their annual booya fundraiser, chopping vegetables for three to four hours before filling the massive booya pots with meat and other delectables for the all-night cooking process.
Start to finish, it’s about an 11-hour undertaking. The end result is 400 or so gallons of booya which the firefighters sell, by the bowl and by the quart, as a fundraiser for the Apple Valley Firefighters’ Relief Association.
In fact, it takes longer to make the 400 or so gallons of booya than it does to sell all of it. Each year, firefighters start dishing up the booya in the late morning, and they usually run out by about 3 o’clock.
“Last year we served the last bowl at 2:15,” said Al Olson, firefighter and chair of the booya event. “It sold out fast last year because it was cold outside and a big bowl of booya was just what the doctor ordered.”
This year’s booya event hosted by the Apple Valley firefighters starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at Fire Station 1 located at County Road 42 and Hayes Road.
The 34th annual event will also feature bingo, children’s games and inflatables, a dunk tank, silent auction, bake sale and raffle. Raffle tickets are $1 and top prizes include a Lawn Boy lawn mower and gift cards to area businesses.
In addition to the booya, there will also be a snack bar with hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches and other offerings.
More information about the event is at www.cityofapplevalley.org.
