At one time, chicken wings were not eaten but were tossed out with the trash.

Wings, however, have become popular menu items, especially around the time when a football game will be televised.

Germansville Fire Company takes advantage of that when it sponsors it wing and cheesesteak nights.

The most recent was Jan. 21 but there will be four throughout the year, said fire company President Paul McAdam.

He said they normally have 500 people for dinner but this night, they expected between 600 and 700.

A large number of young children also were dining in the fire station social hall.

Firefighters took a motto from President Donald Trump and wore shirts stating “Make wings great again.”

On the back, the shirts showed a chicken wearing a firefighter’s hat.

Twenty firefighters and 15 volunteers helped prepare and serve the dinner.

McAdam said the fire company will probably no longer do catering but will continue with events directly benefiting the fire company, such as a craft show.

Money raised goes into a general fund to buy equipment.

“This place bleeds money,” McAdam said. “A fire tax pays half the cost except for social aspects.

“Membership letters have a 90-percent return rate,” said McAdam, adding people are turning out for events and some are joining the fire company.

The band, Diaspora, from Schuylkill County, was suggested by firefighter Randy Metzger who teaches environmental science at Blue Mountain High School and knows a member of the band, Terry Laughlin, a chemistry teacher at the same school.

Band member Randy Hamlin said Diaspora means to scatter such as seeds or Biblically when the Jews were scattered.