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Goodwill Hose hosts Poker Run, remembers firefighter Zach Wilson

Zach Wilson, second from the right, enjoys some time with his fellow firefighters.

FLEMINGTON — Goodwill Hose Fire Company No. 3 in Flemington hosted the Zach Wilson Memorial Poker Run on Saturday Sept. 15, and raised almost $2,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Awareness in honor of Zach.

Zach, who moved from Huntington to Lock Haven because of work, joined the local fire company company in May of 2017 and quickly became an active part of the fire station.

Firefighters remember him as always smiling and always willing to help anyone in need.

Zach took his own life On Oct. 6, 2017.

Chaplain Scott Willits, Zach’s best friend, blessed the bikes before the ride.

Goodwill Hose Fire Co. members, along with members of Zach Wilson’s family pose for a photograph above.

Willits said: “We are here today to pay honor to a man who changed so many lives in a short amount of time. We are here to honor firefighter Zachary Wilson. Zach joined Goodwill Hose Co. in May of 2017, and quickly became one of the most trusted faces of the fire department. Whether it was game nights at the station, or just hanging out, he was always one of the few guys you could just sit down and talk to about anything. He was the kind of guy who knew how to take a joke as well as dish one right back. I could go on and on with the stories that could tell you of the kind of man he was.

“From the moment his shy outer shell cracked in the back of Engine 7 while escorting the Keystone Little League teams home, to my personal favorite that we will just call the dreaded cupcake incident of September 2017, or even his hatred for hashtags that actually dubbed our very own #itsa7thing and #farvahatedhashtags. Oh that last hashtag reminds me. The nickname, I almost forgot the nickname. This one goes hand-in-hand with those famous aviators and that radio he always wore. It made him look like Kevin Heffernan’s character in the movie Super Troopers, Rod Farva. Hence Sgt. Farva he was dubbed.

“Zach was the kind of man who would always be ready to lend a helping hand. I can’t begin to tell you how many work sessions at the station were saved by his trusted tool kit in the back of his vehicle. Unfortunately on Oct. 6, Zach made a decision that would rock Goodwill Hose Co. to its core. A decision that left a mother, father, and an entire family searching for answers among anguish and despair. I will never forget the moment I heard the news. My heart sank.

“The days that followed didn’t get easier for any of us. None of us could believe it. I specifically remember all of us watching the door or checking our phones to see where Zach was every time we were at the station. I cannot even put into words the emotions I felt as I watched my 2-year-old son search for his Uncle Farva.

“But, through it all Zach did something for the station I never thought possible. He made the bond stronger between us. He gave us another family, and I don’t only mean he made us a family. No, his biological family now became our family. He took our #itsa7thing and gave us #itsafamilything. For that we honor and will always remember Zach. Today we ride for Farva.”

Zach Wilson

After the event, riders were treated to an ox roast meal. The company is planning to make this ride for Zach an annual event.

The membership thanks all the riders and vendors who participated.

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