A fund-raiser held by area vacation Bible school students raised more than $700 for the Lower Currituck Volunteer Fire Department.

In a week-long campaign that concluded last Friday, the children and instructors of Mount Zion United Methodist Church's vacation Bible school raised $708 for the fire

department.

On the first day of vacation Bible School, the children were each given a sock and asked to collect change for the VFD. After all the money was counted, Pastor David Blackman, who also is chaplain of the Lower Currituck VFD, presented a check for $708 to the department.

"Our Lower Currituck Volunteer Fire Department was contacted in the early planning stages to share our goal of honoring them as community volunteers who serve our area in time of need," said Sheila Grandy, Bible school director.

About 60 children school participants took part in the fund-raiser.

Blackman said each year the church's vacation Bible school class selects a theme related to God's scriptures. This year's theme, "God's Big Backyard," related to the commandment of loving your neighbor.

"It was great to witness the children's giving," Blackman said.

In turn, members of the Lower Currituck VFD provided the children with several fun and educational fire prevention programs. For example, last week the children got to walk through the "Smoke house," a mobile unit used to teach people how to react to a fire and safely exit a burning building.