Halfmoon Bay’s very own Station 12 of the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCM-SAR) is bringing back their Burger & Beverage fundraiser at the Lighthouse Pub on Thursday, April 24, starting at 5 p.m. John Maddalozzo, a crew member going on nine years now and president of the Sunshine Coast Marine Rescue Society, took time out of his busy schedule to give me a station tour and tell me more about what the upcoming fundraiser aims to accomplish and what it supports.
Funding for RCMSAR comes from a variety of sponsors, donors and organizations along with events like the Burger & Beverage night. Anyone who owns a boat will tell you it is not an inexpensive undertaking. Station 12 requires funding to maintain both of their vessels, buy fuel, upgrade their training and maintain equipment and facilities. In just the last few years there were huge expenses replacing vessel engines and completing communications upgrades. The vessels are crew maintained and inspected weekly, with the cost of fuel up to $1,700 a fill. All of this to support their mission of saving lives on the water. These volunteers: nine crew and four coxswains respond 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on our local waters to an average of 25 incidents a year. These incidents can occur at any time, often in hazardous conditions and remote areas. It requires an intense amount of training hours by dedicated volunteers to be able to come to the rescue when called. There are also four supporting volunteers and 15 newer volunteers training to become active crew members.
The Sunshine Coast Marine Rescue Society is holding the event, their purpose being to financially support Halfmoon Bay’s RCMSAR Station 12. Tickets ($40) are available through any Station 12 crew member, by email at [email protected] or through their website rcmsar12.org. Tickets are available for two time slots, 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to better space out service for all attendees. The event this year includes 50/50 and raffle prize draws and live music from Mad Cow. Come meet your local volunteers, enjoy the food and entertainment and have a great time celebrating and supporting our heroes on the water.
They are hoping to raise $10,000 this year and a big portion of that will come from the proceeds of the silent auction. The society is asking the community for donations of items for their silent auction. All donors of cash or goods will be issued a tax receipt and will have their contribution recognized at the event and on the RCM-SAR 12 website. If you are able support this incredible and irreplaceable organization through a donation, please get in touch with them at [email protected].
Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any upcoming events to be featured or want to connect about all things happening in Halfmoon Bay. Kyla Trethewey, columnist and Halfmoon Bay Firefighter #36.
