News from the Alpha Guild:
The Alpha Guild has started its fund raising for the 2008 Annual EMS Banquet. With the help of the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce and the Community Enrichment Fund, the guild will be awarded a $1000 contribution toward this effort. Guild president, Vita Monteleone filed an application in December 2007 and was notified this week about the approval of the funds. The banquet which has been sponsored by the guild for 16 years has raised all the funding in the past by soliciting contributions from our corporate community, a quilt raffle and our car wash.

The banquet annually held in the spring is strictly an evening of appreciation for the full time and volunteer staffs from Chelan, Manson and Stehekin. It recognizes our paramedics and EMT’s for the past year of service. With our community growing yearly so does the call volume, with upwards of 1000 911 calls a year plus the addition of event standbys and classes offered to the community and businesses they are a very busy group of individuals. Many may not realize that besides having their life saving EMS work each full time staff member has daily duties that they are responsible for and the volunteers have full time employment outside of volunteering for Lake Chelan Community Hospital EMS. 

With the wonderful award from the chamber the guild will still need to raise approximately $1500 to fulfill the evening’s events which include a wonderful catered dinner and small gifts given to the EMS personnel and their spouse. The guilds idea on these gifts is to allow the personnel and their families to enjoy time together in our community. Many of our contributors offer gift certificates instead of a cash donation. These have varied from movie tickets for the family, dinners, tickets on the Lady of the Lake, espresso punch cards or a video and pizza package. If you are interested in a gift donation but are unsure what to give, guild members are more than willing to help with suggestions and ideas.

The banquet this year will be held on April 26th and our car wash will be on the 29th of March both are at the Chelan Fire Department. If you have any questions or need information how to donate to this wonderful event to honor our EMS personnel you may call guild president, Vita Monteleone at 682-4622 or email her at monte419@nwi.net.