JERMYN, Pa. -- Good Friday is a day that many Christians abstain from eating meat, and in one borough in Lackawanna County, a lot of fish is consumed every Good Friday.
Every Good Friday, in a corner of Jermyn, the Artisan Fire Company serves up almost as many fish dinners as there are residents of the borough.
But people come from all over the area. Carl and Susan Holweg have come from Clarks Summit for close to 20 years.
"A company I worked for, our boss used to buy us tickets every Good Friday, and we would come up after work. Ever since then I've been coming. Now I'm retired and still come up here," said Carl Holweg.
They say there are a few reasons they keep coming back.
"The food is good. It's great," said Susan Holweg. "And I don't have to cook!"
Plus, the fish fry is a major fundraiser for the fire company.
This year, firefighters will cook up 1,600 fish dinners, and this year the money raised goes to something the fire department desperately needs: a brand new pumper truck.
"It's very important for the community, for sure, and for the members as well. We work hard here, and it's nice to get something that we can look at and know where our hard work is going," said Lt. Jerry McDermott, Artisan Fire Co.
The firefighters have picked up more fryers over the past few years to increase efficiency and keep up with the demand.
"The community looks forward to this every year. As you can see, we're pretty packed in here and it's early yet, so everybody looks forward to it," McDermott added.
After a hard day's work and the long holiday weekend, Artisan's new truck is expected to arrive next week.