Fundraising arm is created to support town ambulance
The Shelter Island Ambulance Foundation has been organized to support the Shelter Island ambulance corps when it becomes a town department on December 31. The fund is a registered 501c-3 New York Charitable Corporation and IRS approval has been applied for.
According to an announcement released this week by Sam Case, a longtime ambulance volunteer who is chairman of the new foundation, it “will serve the community by providing financial support to promote the recruitment, training and retention of volunteers and to secure new equipment, primarily ambulances.”
The founders are Mr. Case; Judy Sherman, its secretary/treasurer; and its directors Ben Jones, Jim Preston and Mark Kanarvogal. All have been active volunteers for years.
The corps, the announcement says, has been “providing pre-hospital care to those who live, work, or visit our Island since the mid 1930’s” under the auspices of the national Red Cross. “This fund will help offset the rising costs of keeping the squad up to date with state-of-the-art medical care for those in need of our services.”
“It is important to note that all funds contributed to this foundation will stay on Shelter Island and will be used to support emergency medical service on Shelter Island.”
Contributions may be sent to: Shelter Island Ambulance Fund, P.O. Box 547, Shelter Island, NY 11964.
The Town Board this fall agreed to acquire the corps from the Red Cross, which wanted to divest itself of the only ambulance squad it owned in the country. A major question has been how much it will eventually cost town taxpayers to operate.
A particular concern has been the acquisition in the years ahead of new ambulances, when they become necessary. Town Supervisor Jim Dougherty, noting that the corps for years has been supported by private donations, has said he hoped the planned foundation would help meet those capital costs.
