The 10th Annual Firefighters Bean Day will take 500 pounds of white beans, 12 to 15 whole hams with plenty of slaw, cornbread and homemade desserts.

Firefighters will start preparing the big meal as early as the middle of next week to be ready in time for Friday.

Bean Day will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Beasley Center at Athens State University. The event is held in conjunction with the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention, which begins at 6 p.m. Friday and continues Saturday.

“The bean pickers will come in early and start picking out the rocks and all the bad beans from the 500 pounds of white beans,” said Athens Fire Chief Cliff Christopher. “Then we will soak and clean them Thursday so they will be ready for cooking.”

Christopher expects 3,000 people to come through the line for beans. A meal is $5 per plate.

“Over the past nine years we’ve raised close to $100,000 for local charities,” the chief said. “We got the idea from Florence who used to have bean day and it just seems to get bigger and better every year.”

Christopher said Bean Day is a community event that gives firefighters a chance to meet the public they serve.

“People seem to like it and look forward to it every year,” he said. “It gives our firefighters a chance to meet and greet the people of the community and at the same time, it allows the people to meet the firefighters. It’s a lot of work, but we enjoy it.”

Different committees make up the bean day project, he said.

“We have some who serve on the committee for the beans, some for the cornbread and some for the slaw. They are responsible for that and take care of it,” the chief said. “The bean pickers are made up mostly of people from the retired groups and organizations.”

Local politicians typically help do the serving.

Along with the beans and ham, cornbread and slaw, plenty of homemade desserts will be available.

You can either dine in or carry-out. To place an order, call the Athens Fire Department at 233-8710.