LETTER: FORWARD kicks in $2,500 for ambulance station project

March 21, 2023 

Rich Hayes, president of FORWARD, presents a grant check to Waterbury Ambulance Service Executive Director Maggie Burke. Photo by Jaclyn Lombardo

To the Community: 

Considering recent media coverage regarding the challenges faced by Emergency Medical Services across the state of Vermont, the Waterbury FORWARD organization is delighted to present Waterbury Ambulance Service Inc. with a grant of $2,500.  

We believe Waterbury Ambulance Service provides invaluable services above the norm for keeping Waterbury healthy, active and engaged.  In particular, their dedication to sustaining the health and well-being of the community during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic through accessible testing and immunization services went far toward helping our community maintain a positive outlook during a trying time.  

We are grateful to have this professional and committed service available to the Waterbury community.  

We trust that these funds will make a valuable contribution towards the establishment of a new facility with suitable space and accommodations to sustain emergency management services which have garnered respect and recognition through 50-plus years of service.

Friends for Waterbury Area Recreation and Development is a fully accredited 501c3 organization whose mission is to serve the greater Waterbury, Vermont, region by developing arts and recreational opportunities for community benefit. We serve as the fiscal Agent for numerous volunteer organizations that provide a diversity of sustainable recreational activities and opportunities to the Waterbury community.  

Our goal is to broaden access to and availability of arts and recreation resources year-round by receiving charitable contributions and awarding grants to various programs aligned with our mission and vision for Waterbury. Our clients include Waterbury Winterfest, Waterbury Unleashed - Dog Park, Waterbury ARTS, Waterbury Youth Soccer, the Grange Hall Cultural Center and Waterbury Skatepark.

We ask that others keep Waterbury Ambulance Service’s ongoing fundraising efforts in mind as it advances toward the goal of ground-breaking in 2023 for its new station.

With great respect and admiration,

Rich Hayes, president of FORWARD with 

Herschell Murry, vice president

Lauren Lande, secretary

Tami Bass, treasurer

Waterbury Ambulance Service is fundraising $3.4 million for its Station Creation project and so far has reached approximately 89% of its goal with $372,000 left to raise, according to Executive Director Maggie Burke. Find more information online at waterburyambulance.org/station-creation.