When it comes to making a charitable donation, sometimes the value of the needed item exceeds the amount of money one donor organization can afford. That’s exactly the case the Granby Ambulance Association (GAA) recently faced. GAA needed a new stair chair to replace an older unit that was taken out of service. The stair chair allows ambulance crews to safely secure and transport patients from difficult locations such as upstairs bedrooms to a stretcher and then into the ambulance. This critical piece of equipment is essential for both patient and crew safety.
When Granby’s American Legion Post 182 expressed an interest in making a donation to GAA, a new stair chair was one of the most needed items. As it turned out, the price of a new stair chair was beyond what the Legion was able to donate on its own.
Cliff Burrell, an active Granby volunteer with both the American Legion and the Granby Lions Club, suggested that perhaps the two organizations could share the cost. Better yet for all involved, Burrell was chatting with Patty Sansone of the Granby Community Fund, and she suggested the cost of the new stair chair be divided among these three prominent Granby organizations. Burrell and Sansone ran with this collaboration idea and met with the three organizations’ decision makers for approval to share the cost for the new stair chair. It was this “out of the box” thinking that made the stair chair procurement an immediate reality.
Together, we can make a difference. This is true for the Granby Ambulance, the Granby American Legion, the Granby Community Fund, the Granby Lions Club and other essential public service groups within the community. All of these organizations have a common purpose: to provide for and to give back to their communities. The synergy created by people working together can exceed what is possible by any one organization by itself. On behalf of GAA, thank you to all who made this happen.