Fundraisers under way for ambulance

SHARON —Members of the Sharon Volunteer Ambulance have launched a new fundraising program to replace the current ambulance, which is showing the signs of age and wear of 13 years of service.

The price for an ambulance is expected to be $180,000.

To kick off the drive, a Barn Dance has been scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 21, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m., at the Monroe barn, 76 Jackson Road. Beer, wine and light refreshments will  be available. Tickets are $40 per person and can be obtained through fire and ambulance volunteers or by contacting Hall at 860-364-0664.

The squad is also selling a pewter medallion produced by Pewtersmith. It’s a holiday keepsake ornament designed to look like the Clock Tower.

“We are proud to be able to offer something that is truly a work of art for such a reasonable price,� Hall said.

They are available for sale for $9 at Sharon Pharmacy, Salisbury Bank, NewMil Bank and Union Savings Bank; or by contacting Hall.

Also, in an effort to aid in the response to emergency calls, the ambulance squad has begun to sell and install house numbers.

“This is something very simple that can save so much time in an emergency,� ambulance Captain Tom Alden explained. “Being able to identify a house number can save enough time to save a life.�

There are several choices and styles, and they can be installed by squad members.

“It’s a way to help yourself in an emergency and help us now,â€�  Alden said.

Orders for house numbers can be placed by sending a request to Alden at PO Box 357, Sharon, CT 06069.

With a long way left to go to meet their goals, the members feel realistically confident in their aggressively diverse efforts. So much so that a quip has developed that goes like this, “Taking your wife dancing: $80. Sending a little bit of home to your daughter at college: $9. Having the ambulance find your house in an emergency: Priceless.�

— Eugene Aakjar has been a volunteer with the Sharon Fire Department for 18 years, and has been secretary of the department for the past eight years.