MVA service gets new ambulance, new auxiliary plans fundraisers for next
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ST. IGNATIUS – If good things come to those who wait, the Mission Valley Ambulance service has put in their time. After about a decade of waiting, the service finally has a new ambulance.
“We’ve been trying to raise the money for the past ten years,” said Christa Umphrey, emergency responder.
Brand new sirens flashed at the top of the shiny new ambulance which is a bit taller than the older ones but still short enough to fit in the small parking garage the service stores everything in.
“This was the smallest one available,” she said.
The Amish Youth Group in St. Ignatius kicked in about $25,000 of the nearly $100,000 cost for the ambulance. The youth group held spring auctions for the past two years to raise the funding.
“We would have been waiting a lot longer to get this without their help,” Umphrey said.\ The new ambulance is a welcome addition to the emergency service, and the volunteer crew is grateful for it, but they operate with a limited budget and still have several projects they would like to fund including expansion of the facility.
“We also need another new ambulance,” she said. The service keeps two rigs ready to respond to an emergency in case they get numerous calls or have several victims at a scene, and the next newest ambulance they have was manufactured in 1992.
It could take several more years of waiting and fundraising before the crew sees another new ambulance or plans for expansion, but on Saturday, Aug. 20, they held a free concert performed by the Country Boogie Boys with a live auction and dinner to get fundraising started.
The concert was sparsely attended but the volunteers expected that. They figure it will take a few years to get what they hope is an annual fundraiser established.
“We are open to suggestions if anyone wants us to do something different,” said Annie Morigeau, emergency responder.
The service is getting some additional help. The newly formed Mission Valley Ambulance Auxiliary is a group of volunteers working to assist the service in ways other than medical services including organizing fundraisers.
“I was in an accident a few years ago, and after seeing what (emergency responders) do, I wanted to help,” said Brenda Arlint, auxiliary president.
The auxiliary group meets the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. For those that would like to join, call 406-745-7770 or show up to the meeting. And if anyone wants to donate or volunteer with the ambulance service, call Morigeau at 406-207-3807.
