Nov. 19--IPSWICH, MA-- The Thanksgiving Day football rivalry between Hamilton-Wenham and Ipswich dates back more than four decades. But this year's game will still manage to have a new twist.
The towns' fire chiefs have placed a friendly wager on the game that will result in the two communities receiving 75 free smoke alarms to benefit senior citizens, no matter which team wins.
A North Carolina-based smoke alarm manufacturer has agreed to donate the smoke alarms, with the "winning" fire department getting 50 and the "losing" department getting 25. The chief of the losing town will install some of the alarms in the other community while wearing the football jersey of the winning team's school.
"I think it's a great idea," said Ipswich acting fire Chief Andre Theriault. "Ultimately it's a win-win for both of us, regardless of the football game."
The idea came about when Ipswich firefighter Jeremy Dalton was attending a SAFE conference held by the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services. Dalton is the coordinator of his department's program that installs free smoke alarms for senior citizens.
A representative of Kidde, a national smoke alarm manufacturer, told Dalton the company had sponsored such a bet between fire chiefs in the past and would do it again.
"I'm trying to find other ways to raise money for detectors, so I said, 'This would be perfect'," Dalton said.
Kidde agreed to supply the 75 smoke detectors for the friendly wager.
Dalton said smoke alarms have become more expensive since a new state law requiring new alarms to have batteries that last for 10 years, so the batteries won't have to be changed for the life of the smoke alarm. They cost about $22, while a combination smoke alarm/carbon monoxide detector goes for around $50, he said.
The town of Hamilton also has a smoke alarm program for senior citizens, with the Hamilton-Wenham Rotary Club a prime donor, Hamilton fire Chief Philip Stevens said.
"This will really benefit the seniors," he said.
The game will be played Thursday at 10 a.m. in Ipswich.
___ (c)2017 The Salem News (Beverly, Mass.) Visit The Salem News (Beverly, Mass.) at www.salemnews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
