Roast Aids Ambulance Goal for ‘Hamp Communities

Union-News (Springfield, MA)

Author: RICHARD NADOLSKI

GOSHEN, MA – The drive by three hill town Hampshire communities to upgrade their ambulance service is cooking with the results of a weekend pig roast.

The Saturday event was held at the farm of George Munroe on East Street, and the $1,386 in proceeds are being split between the ambulance service and the James Taylor Scholarship Fund. Fire Chief Francis Dresser termed the event a tremendous success.

The communities have been engaged in a series of fund-raisers to raise money to update ambulance service which they share. Dresser said about $115,000 in new equipment will be purchased when the goal is reached.

The communities have come a long way toward completing their goal. They have $70,000 for a new ambulance and $10,000 has been raised to repair another one.

Still on the wish list are three defibrillators and a heart monitor as well as two-way radios, all of which will cost about $35,000, Dresser said.

Plans to raise $10,000 through an auction at the Anne T. Dunphy School in Williamsburg for the purchase of about a dozen, two-way radios fell short by about $2,500 the weekend in July.

But even that event has a silver lining to it. Publicity about the failure to reach the goal spawned several donations and the $10,000 goal is close at hand.

“And it’s still rolling in,” Dresser said.

The fund-raisers want to keep on a roll by having a tag sale in Williamsburg Sept. 2 at a location on Route 9 that has yet to be secured, Dresser said. It is hoped that $3,000 will be raised in that event, he said.

One-third of the volunteer force has portable radios already.

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