March 7, 2025
Eustis Fire Department Wins Fifth Consecutive Tri-City Fire Department Food Drive Challenge
By Kyle Coppola
Eustis Fire Department Wins Fifth Consecutive Tri-City Fire Department Food Drive Challenge
EUSTIS, Fla. — The Eustis Fire Department has once again demonstrated its commitment to community service, securing its fifth consecutive victory in the annual Tri-City Fire Department Food Drive Challenge. The achievement highlights the department’s dedication to fighting food insecurity and supporting local families in need.
Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lake County Golden Triangle, the event saw the Eustis Fire Department collect the highest volume of food donations, retaining the coveted traveling plaque for another year. The competition also featured strong participation from the Mount Dora Fire Department and the Tavares Fire Department, with all three departments contributing to a record-breaking collection of more than 30,000 pounds of food for the Lake Cares Food Pantry.
(The Eustis Fire Department was recognized for their incredible efforts including Eustis Fire Station 22.)
Community leaders, firefighters, and stakeholders gathered at the Country Club of Mount Dora for a special awards luncheon celebrating the milestone. The event recognized the dedication of all participating fire departments, highlighted the spirit of collaboration, and provided an opportunity for discussions on continued community support initiatives.
“This win is a testament to the incredible generosity of our community and the dedication of our firefighters, volunteers, and local partners,” Eustis Fire Chief Swanson said. “We are honored to play a part in helping those in need, and we’re grateful for the support of everyone who contributed to this important cause.”
The success of this year’s food drive was made possible through partnerships with Lake Technical College, Chick-fil-A Mt. Dora, Eustis Elks Lodge 1578, and Tri-County area schools. Their contributions and enthusiasm exemplified the power of teamwork and civic engagement.
Community members donated food at various collection points, including Eustis Fire Station 22, leading up to the final day of the drive on Jan. 25. Their generosity helped set a new benchmark for the annual event.
As the Eustis Fire Department celebrates its continued success in the challenge, it remains committed to serving and supporting the community beyond emergency response. The department encourages residents to stay engaged in local charitable initiatives and work together to combat food insecurity year-round.
For more information about the Eustis Fire Department and future community initiatives, visit Eustis Fire Department – Eustis FL.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
