Rotary steps up with $25,000 ambulance fund pledge; Club challenges others to match its gift to raise $50,000
First junior members to earn full membership in TLAES
Among the volunteers helping out with the often life-saving care given by the Tupper Lake Ambulance and Emergency Squad are three newcomers, promoted to full membership earlier this year. The trio were the first three junior members who crested the age of 18 and became full members. From left to right were Alliyah Lawrence, Trisha Mayotte at the wheel and Carsyn Maroun.
By Dan McClelland
The Tupper Lake Rotary Club has responded in spades to a call for help by the Tupper Lake Ambulance and Emergency Squad, published in last week’s paper.
The local Rotarians, who since the club’s creation many decades ago, have been generously supporting good project here, are pledging to donate $25,000 toward the TLAES goal of $400,000. The money is needed by the life-saving agency to buy a new ambulance to replace an aging one and also a power lift cot to help save volunteers backs when moving folks up into one of their vehicles.
The Rotary Club truly believes in the importance of Tupper’s front-line medical providers, knowing that without it lives would be lost here.
The club’s promise to help is actually a challenge to the community. “We’re putting up a matching fund grant and we are calling on the community to match our $25,000 pledge to help.
“We know there are many here who understand just how important the squad is to our community- both those who live here year round and to our many summer residents,” said Rickey Dattola, a longtime club leader.
“These local medical professions show up without hesitation to any of our homes or our work places every time they are called. Tupper Lake isn’t fortunate enough to have an emergency room, but we are blessed with trained professionals willing to answer our calls whenever needed and give us that life-saving care until they can get us to a nearby hospital!
Donations towards the Rotary Club challenge can be of any size, because all are important, notes Mr. Dattola.
“Help us grow our gift to this important fund to $50,000 in coming weeks, he added.
All donations to the $400,000 ambulance and power cot fund should be sent to the emergency squad’s local post office box, 901, Tupper Lake. If the donation is to help the Rotarians grow their gift, please indicate Rotary Club on the memo line of the check.