If somebody falls out of a tree and breaks their arm or falls off their horse and breaks their back or gets pinned under a trac-torin the middle of a pond, you can rest assured -- you call the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad, they'll arrive with state-of-the-art equipment. I know because all those things happened at my farm. So I want to take this opportunity to thank you guys, very much."
This is how long-time Charlottesville resident and actress Sissy Spacek helped kick off the annual community fundraiser for the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad at a luncheon yesterday. As an all-volunteer organization that receives no money from the local or state governments, CARS runs a fundraising drive each fall through Jan. 1.
"Our members are just like you and I," CARS Fundraising Chair and University alumna Ashleigh Edwards said. "We have lives outside of CARS, too, so we've taken a lot of time and energy out of our personal lives and invested into CARS, and we're asking the community to do the same."
With over 16,000 responses to emergency calls last year, CARS relies on these donations especially to purchase and maintain high-tech equipment.
"Almost all the money will go toward day-to-day operations," CARS volunteer and University alumnus Andrew Barros said.
Barros, who was handed the Rookie of the Year award by Spacek for excellence in professionalism, patient care and willingness to learn, also emphasized that much of the equipment used by volunteers is single-use medical gear -- an added strain on the budget.
Edwards noted that the goal for this year's drive is $400,000, while last year the organization raised between $350,000 and $375,000.
Susan and Christopher Bryant, the mother and twin brother of Shawn Bryant, a former University student who was killed in a car accident last February, presented CARS with a check for $9,000. Bryant had volunteered both at CARS and at a Richmond rescue squad, and his family raised $18,000 in a June golf tournament to be split between the two organizations.
CARS President Larry Claytor stressed how much the squad relies on these student volunteers.
"There's a lull during the summer, and then it picks back up in the fall when the students return," Claytor said.
Several CARS members noted that the volunteers come in all shapes, sizes and professions -- "professors, teachers, attorneys, physicians and everybody in between" make up the CARS team, according to Vice Chair of Operations Benjamin Sojka.
Spacek said she knew relatively little about the CARS operations before this week and believes members of the Charlottesville community take for granted that CARS, which has regularly garnered national attention for exemplary service, is on call to respond to their emergencies.
"They have the same 24 hours a day that we do, and they take time out of busy lives and busy schedules to devote it to making our lives ... a lot safer," she said.
Spacek clarified why she decided to help CARS when asked what responsibility celebrities have to bolster support for community organizations.
"I think [celebrities] have an enormous obligation -- an enormous obligation just as private citizens," Spacek said. "My obligation to this rescue squad is as a member of this community."
Sojka mentioned his worry that several locals will pass up donations to CARS this year due to massive contributions to hurricane efforts.
"We are all a bit concerned about how those efforts, which are amazing and much-needed down in the southern part of the country, how that's going to affect us," Sojka said. "However, what we hope and believe that our community will realize is that we need to ensure that, just like those folks were prepared down there to be able to take care of themselves for the first several days or even weeks, that if something similar should happen here, we're going to need to do the same."
Edwards said it's important to point out that the excellence in service for Charlottesville residents depends greatly on what Charlottesville residents contribute to CARS.
"We want to emphasize that the people in our community need our help, too," Edwards said. "You literally never know when an emergency could happen to you."
Read More
Virginia Policy Lab — a hub for student-led policy action
By Katherine Haden | December 9, 2024Students propose their own projects and collaborate with other members to research their issues of interest, brainstorm solutions and write policy proposals.
Perfecting the subtle art of the ‘sexile’
By Val Vixen | December 7, 2024Approach this sacred college ritual with a newfound confidence.
Top 10 ways to ring in the holiday season in Charlottesville
By Sam Saks | December 5, 2024With temperatures down, lights up and spirits high, not even pesky final projects and exams can dampen this holiday season.
