RIDGWAY — On Saturday afternoon, the Ridgway Fire Department announced that it decided to cancel the 2020 carnival.

This year’s carnival, which would have been the 87th, was scheduled to start July 6, just 10 weeks from now.

Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening plan begins May 8. However, when fire department members looked at the criteria required to move from Red to Yellow to Green, they felt the likelihood that the local area would be cleared in time for the carnival is uncertain at best. Coupled with the CDC guidelines on social distancing, having a gathering like the carnival draws could very well be in violation of these rules or at least make them very difficult to enforce.

Despite what some have said, this decision was not a knee jerk reaction, but rather what fire department officials feel is a responsible decision, they stated. With the opening date being just 10 weeks away, they would be working at the carnival lot now cleaning, painting and repairing the buildings. Gatherings of 10 or more people are currently prohibited so getting things ready in time would be a real challenge.

Also, the department’s orders for food and drinks would need to be on the books, and committing to those types of purchases (if they could be filled) would be a huge financial risk if the department had to cancel at the last minute.

Fire department officials noted that they believe the midway they use, Powers and Thomas, is also still not active due to the stay-at-home order.

“Cancelling what is annually our largest fundraiser and a time of celebration for the community is a tough pill to swallow,” the fire department stated. “So far COVID-19 has forced us to reschedule our Gun Bash, cancel our weekly bingo, and now cancel the carnival.

“Because of that we (have decided) to put any capital expenditures not absolutely necessary on hold. We have contacted both our state and federal representatives asking if there are any plans to help non profits like us address the revenue we are losing. Thus far these contacts have gone unanswered.”

Fire officials said the loss of revenue from canceling the carnival not only affects the fire department, but also vendors and the local businesses where the department purchases supplies.

“The overwhelming majority of our supplies for the week are purchased locally,” they explained. “The purchases include paper products, pizza shells and all the ingredients, the buns for our sandwiches, the meats that go in the sandwiches, the French fries, the sodas, the ice cream and more all come from local businesses. On parade day, vendors are along Main Street selling things. The local stores benefit from the extra foot traffic. So, it is the community as a whole that will feel the financial impact from this cancellation at a time when businesses are really struggling.”

According to fire officials, the closest the department ever came to canceling the carnival was the 2014 flood.

“However, with the tremendous help we received from our community and equipment manufacturers, we were able to launch the carnival on time that year,” they said. “That was possible because the area was not in a lockdown situation like we are today.

“Our goal at this point is to come up with some alternate ideas so that all of us can celebrate together when the all clear signal is given,” they added. “We have already received a couple of suggestions that may be worth considering.”

Despite the fundraising loss, the fire department is still able to operate.

“In the meantime, we want to make it clear that the Ridgway Fire Department is OK,” fire officials stated. “We have been and will be ready to respond to whatever call we get.”

They explained that they will be able to cut discretionary spending and redirect reserves on a needs-only basis to keep going.

“Finally, the Ridgway Fire Department is truly blessed to work in a community that supports us like ours does,” officials said. “The acts of kindness and donations we receive are amazing to say the least.”

Fire department officials said they will keep the public updated and added, “We ask that you stay safe so we can all get through this together.”