Valley Middle students have probably seen 7th-grader Emily Melville working in class, smiling in the hallway or playing hard on the soccer field. What most people don’t know is that Emily is also a mascot for the Apple Valley Fire Department!

Emily started being Sparky the mascot in October. Her dad is a Lieutenant for the AVFD (Apple Valley Fire Department), so Emily has been around Sparky a lot. She always thought about how cool it would be if she could get a turn. One day she suggested to her dad and the Fire Chief that she could go as Sparky to the elementary schools in Apple Valley for fire prevention week. They agreed, so now she’s a part of the fire prevention team.

Emily says the best part about being Sparky is that it makes kids and adults smile and fills them with joy. She really likes being Sparky because it makes her feel good to help people have a great day.

One of the struggles of being Sparky is the costume. According to Emily, it is too big and was clearly made for adults, so it’s hard to keep the mask up. She also says it’s hard not being able to talk.

The amount of time one person spends being Sparky varies because it depends on the event. Emily doesn’t do all the events–many people play Sparky–but she sure enjoys bringing joy to young and old whenever she gets the chance.