Chief Russ Cornford said over the past three years of fundraising the organization has already raise $40,000 toward the overall vehicle purchase price of $181,000. Then on Oct. 10, an anonymous donor contacted Cornford offering to donate $20,000 toward the remaining funds needed to purchase the new vehicle. The only condition the donor placed on the gift was that the public would step up and match his donation before they would receive his contribution.

Once the fire department raised half of the total funds needed to purchase the new vehicle, the Coon Creek Fire Association agreed to fund the remainder of the purchase costs. The timing of the donation coincided perfectly with the fire department’s annual fundraiser held in November. The dance and raffles raised a large portion of the funds needed and an article in the Westby Times fueled the need for urgency and put the fundraising efforts over the top, Cornford said.

To date, outside matching contributions totaled $41,101, including the $20,000 matching fund gift. That combined with the $40,000 the department had already put aside from the past three years of fundraising tipped the scale and allowed for the new purchase to move forward.

The new first responder vehicle will replace the 1999 suburban the organization currently relies on. The new vehicle purchase was approved by the CCFFA board and was ordered earlier this month. Three bids were received with Alexis Fire Equipment in Illinois selected.