KEARNEY, Neb. – This season the Tri-City Storm have teamed up with the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department to honor an unsung hero after each win.

The department has donated an authentic fire helmet, detailed in purple by Bobby Turner with Turner Body Shop, for the team’s locker room. After a Storm win the helmet will be presented to a player who made a big contribution to the team’s success, but may not have been recognized in the box score.

“We really wanted to have something that represented the community as well as our town,” said Storm head coach Josh Hauge. “There’s no better representation of an unsung hero that isn’t always recognized than the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department.”

Hauge said the firefighters were a little surprised when the staff reached out with the idea, but felt honored and excited that they were chosen.

The department took the idea and ran with it, putting a special dedication plate on the front and making sure the paint job was professionally done.

“I think I had a vision of what it might look like,” Hauge said. But when I saw how it came out, it was better than anything we could have hoped for. They did a great job and it’s definitely something our players are striving to earn. It’s an honor to put on.”

The Storm will recognize all the volunteer fire departments in the Central Nebraska region on Saturday during ‘Fire and Ice Night’ at the Viaero Event Center. The night is part of Fire Prevention Week, presented by the National Fire Protection Association. The helmet will be on display, along with a video feature that captures the dedication of the helmet from the fire department.

Tickets are still available for Saturday night’s game with the Waterloo Black Hawks at the Viaero Event Center Box Office. Game time is at 7:05 p.m.