Contributed by Mike Feazel
Nearly a half million dollars in much-needed capital spending in the past few months has made this year’s Lake Monticello Volunteer Fire & Rescue annual fund drive more important than ever, said board President John Lye.
“This was stuff we just had to do, but it was really expensive and all coming at the same time,” Lye said. “These things had practically been held together by bubblegum and duct tape.” He said the fire and rescue service is hoping this year’s fund drive can more than double the typical $120,000 or so it normally raises.
The big projects included replacing the leaking 40-year-old roof for the fire department buildings at a cost of $282,000 and repaving all of the parking area for more than $200,000. The parking area had to be re-surfaced largely because of semi-trucks and moving vans that can’t get in the Slice gate using the fire department lots to turn around, heavily damaging the surface, Lye said.
The fire department’s re-instituted Friday night bingo is helping, Lye said, generating more revenue than before it was shut down some time ago despite regularly having some open seats for players. There have also been some revisions to the fundraising letter residents recently received, including a QR code to make online giving easier.
The fire and rescue service also will launch a major raffle soon for a free week at Myrtle Beach, as well as regular fundraisers such as its annual golf tournament and Breakfast With Santa Dec. 6.
