Nova Scotians arrange lobster dinner for American firefighter celebrating 60th birthday

Community members in Shelburne County took hospitality to the next level earlier this week, when they quickly arranged a 60th birthday dinner for an American firefighter who has been battling a massive wildfire in the area.

Kevin Pezanowski, who is from New Hampshire, had travelled to Nova Scotia last week with a crew of about 17 firefighters from the northeastern United States to help fight the blaze.

Nick Brand, who had been volunteering by serving breakfast to firefighters at the local arena, said he was at the right place at the right time when he heard about the firefighter's milestone birthday on Monday.

"A firefighter named Lily, she came up to me and just mentioned how it was Kevin's 60th birthday," Brand told CBC Radio's Information Morning Nova Scotia.

"And she had heard that we're pretty famous for lobsters and asked if there was anything we could do that evening for his birthday."

Brand asked Lily how many people would be there, and then said, "leave it to me."

From there, Brand texted a friend who immediately donated 25-30 lobsters and his burner and pot to cook it in. He also put out a message to the community.

Before he knew it, another local who works at the Sandy Point Lighthouse donated supplies to serve the lobster, while others offered to cook.

He said someone also donated their "famous" biscuits, along with some salads. Moe's Shake Shack, a local ice cream spot, even donated an ice cream cake, he said.

"It's pretty easy here in town right now to find people to help out," he said. 

Brand said the owners of an old restaurant offered their space to serve the dinner, so the firefighters wouldn't have to eat lobster in the arena.

He said Pezanowski and the other firefighters were surprised to see the special birthday dinner, after a full day of fighting the wildfire.

"They got back and showered and headed down and were pretty happy to see some lobster waiting for them," Brand said.

Brand said he was happy to do this for Pezanowski and his fellow firefighters. 

"I was fortunate enough not to be evacuated from my house and there's so many of us that were just wanting to do something to help, to pay back the firefighters that are here helping to save our community," he said.

"So it was nice to have something to focus on on Monday."

Day holds special meaning

Monday, June 5, was also his goddaughter Carmen's birthday.

She was born in 2010, but died in 2016 when she was just five years old.

"So every year on her birthday, and then also on the date when she passed in January, the community generally does acts of kindness and pays it forward and [that] wasn't even something that I thought of at that moment," he said.

"But it's one of those things that, it probably wasn't a coincidence. It was probably something that was meant to be, to do something kind for others."