Big Bay to host fundraiser for deceased firefighter’s children

BIG BAY — The Powell Township Fire Department is hosting a benefit spaghetti dinner this weekend to support the children of a Powell Township firefighter who lost his life little more than a month ago.

Paul Maki was a 14-year veteran of the Powell Township Fire Department. His life was cut short during a boating accident on a lake at the Huron Mountain Club on October 15th.

Now, the people he surrounded himself with want to help out.

Sandy Vargo, emergency services coordinator for Powell Township and Maki’s friend, said, “We’ve decided to host a benefit for anyone and everyone that wants to drive up the Big Bay Road for a good dish of spaghetti in hopes of raising a little bit of money for his two elementary-aged children that he left behind.”

Also a member of the Huron Mountain Club Fire Department, Maki is remembered fondly by his friends.

“He was a great guy, he really was,” Vargo said with a smile. “He’d give the shirt off his back to anybody; very quiet. A longtime Big Bay resident. You could always count on him. He was just there; he was just a good guy”

The benefit dinner is this Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Powell Township Emergency Hall, next to the Powell Township Hall, in Big Bay.

If you’re unable to attend, Maki’s friends and family have also set up a trust fund for his children at River Valley Bank, into which you can make a direct donation.