THACKERVILLE, OK – This year marks the Thackerville Volunteer Fire Department’s
third year to hold the Rattlesnake Roundup, and while there will be crafts and games, the department says it hopes the rattlesnake show featuring dozens of snakes will help them raise the money they desperately need.
The thought of being in the same room with a rattlesnake might frighten some, but for handler Michael Sheridan its all in a day’s work.
“One minute you can get away with a stunt, the next minute they’re coming at you with full fangs and just ready to chase you down and you take a chance. Most snakes, they don’t want to be handled,” Sheridan says.
Sheridan and other handlers from Texas Diamond Hunters and the Fangs and Rattlers professional snake handlers are showing off their skills this weekend in Thackerville as part of the fire department’s fundraiser.
“This is just one of our deals to try and raise money because everyone has a chili cook off, a fish fry, stuff like that, so this is just something a little different,” Thackerville Fire Chief Teddy Richey says.
Richey says the money from this year’s fundraiser will help pay for the replacement of the department’s only rescue truck that was heavily damaged in ice storms earlier this year. Richey says the truck is instrumental when responding to numerous accidents on Interstate 35.
“We’ve had a lot of accidents on 35, and extrication is needed, so you know we’ve got to take a certain truck that holds all that gear, so that when we get on scene we’ve got everything that we need,” he says.
Richey says last year the fundraiser brought out double the amount of what it had before, and hopes even more people will show up and donate this year.
“Hopefully it kind of brings the community a little better together. They come out, they enjoy themselves, they see something going on. That’s what its all about.”
While the show might not change your opinion of snakes, Sheridan says he hopes the audience will take away a new respect for the reptiles.
” Well I’m hoping they learn something about reptiles, how to respect the wildlife, and not destroy everything that God created.”
The fundraiser will be at the Thackerville Volunteer Fire Department off of Highway 53. You can see all the snakes on Saturday from 10 to 6 and on Sunday from 12 to 6.