Sept. 11: Concert, silent auction to support new ambulance station

Sept. 2, 2022  |  Submitted by Waterbury Ambulance Service 

Waterbury Ambulance Service plans a special fundraiser on Sunday, Sept. 11, at the Double E in Essex Junction to support its Station Creation Project to build a new facility next year.

The event, 4-7 p.m. at the Old Stage, features live music from The Grift rock band along with food trucks, and a silent auction.  

“I’m excited for the opportunity for folks to come together to celebrate all that Waterbury Ambulance has accomplished over the last few years,” said Mark Podgwaite, executive director of Waterbury Ambulance. “We have been working hard to raise $3 million towards our new facility. We are 77% of the way to our goal with just over $700,000 left to raise. I am blown away by the kindness of our community.” 

Kevin Statesir, a Waterbury resident and co-founder of The Double E, offered the venue to Waterbury Ambulance at minimal expense. “I saw the crew from Waterbury Ambulance often when I came through to get [COVID-19] tested. They were always so kind, and I have been wanting to give back to them in a meaningful way for a while now,” he said. “Contributing use of the venue is the least we could do to support this great organization who have been there for all of us.”

The headliner, The Grift, is a popular club, wedding, and event band based in the Champlain Valley. Their sound and original tunes blend roots rock, pop and jam. The band’s website says the group defies easy categorization, offering a blend of “booty-shaking grooves and improvisation with radio-friendly hooks, witty lyrics, and tight vocal harmonies.”

Volunteer Event Coordinator Courtney Guyette said prizes for the auction come from businesses, artists, and friends across the state. Items for bid include experiences like a day at the Jay Peak Waterpark, foods from Cabot Creamery, Cold Hollow Cider and Lake Champlain Chocolates, local art including a World Cow from D.J. Berry, and even an autographed Boston Red Sox baseball.

Tickets: $40 for adults, $20 for kids, 7-16; kids 6 and under are free. 

The nonprofit Waterbury Ambulance Service has been in operation for over 50 years. The combined volunteer and paid EMS service responds to an average of 750 emergency calls per year and its members do community health and first-aid trainings, and carseat fittings. 

Since 2020, Waterbury Ambulance Service has been a key responder during the COVID-19 pandemic. To date its members have administered over 150,000 COVID-19 tests and over 45,000 vaccinations. In 2021, Waterbury Ambulance Service was awarded Ambulance Service of the Year by the State of Vermont. 

For more information about Waterbury Ambulance Service, the Station Creation Project, and to purchase tickets to the Rockin’ Concert and Silent Auction, visit waterburyambulance.org online.