Fancy food and a little bit of magic will help purchase a new ambulance for the Utica Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department.
The sixth annual Tie One On fundraiser hosted by the Utica Community Foundation will be Friday, July 21, at Harvest Hall in Seward.
While tickets for the event are sold out, those not attending can still contribute to the effort.
The Utica Community Foundation began in 2017 when funds were needed to help spruce up the downtown Utica area. Since then, the organization has raised almost $200,000 through its annual Tie One On banquets and even more through additional fundraisers.
For this year’s event, the Foundation is partnering with Utica Fire, with all proceeds from the banquet going toward a new ambulance and related equipment.
Foundation President Preston Stuhr said the organization previously was raising money for a new picnic shelter in Utica’s south park, near the swimming pool.
“There are talks of possibly a new pool or a new ballfield someday, so we didn’t want to build that picnic shelter not knowing if it’s going to be used in that location in the future,” Stuhr said. “We thought about what we can raise money for that’s an immediate need that we can get done right now.
“We knew the fire department needed a new ambulance, so we reached out to them.”
Utica Fire Chief Curtis Deremer said the department is looking to replace an ambulance from the mid-1990s that is currently used as a backup when its primary squad is not in service or already in use.
“It’s had its life and it’s still a great squad, it’s just outdated. We still use it on calls where we have multiple patients and such,” he said, “but there are lots of safety factors they’ve come out with on new squads that we have to have.”
The cost of the new ambulance alone is around $320,000, but a cot is required to go with it at an additional cost of about $60,000.
The department also hopes to purchase a new Lifepak monitor, which checks a patient’s blood pressure and oxygen levels and doubles as an automated external defibrillator, as well as a LUCAS device, which performs automated, hands-free CPR, keeping rescue personnel free to perform other life-saving tasks.
“Those are things that would be really nice to have in our squad,” Utica Rescue Captain Amanda Struble said. “We have both in the current primary squad, so we could move them over, but then we would have lesser equipment in our secondary squad.”
Struble said the department already has about $265,000 to put toward the project.
Those funds came from a $75,000 grant from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, a $50,000 grant from the Nebraska Rural Fire Board and roughly $140,000 from the Village of Utica budget.
“The DHHS grant was offered statewide for any ambulance service in Nebraska that met the qualifications,” Struble said.
It was a result of a $20 million American Rescue Plan allocation during COVID-19.
The Rural Fire Board offers $50,000 to each of the county’s rescue departments on a rotating yearly basis to help update vehicles. This year was Utica’s turn to receive the funds.
Struble said the village’s contribution will come from a sinking fund in its budget, along with an extra $20,000 budgeted for the ambulance in its 2022-23 budget.
The amount needed for the ambulance and extra equipment totals around $410,000.
“Unfortunately, every time there’s a delay, costs are rising. The last quote we received had gone up another $20,000,” Struble said. “We’re hoping this Tie One On event raises as much funding as possible to see how much equipment we can actually get.”
The fundraiser will feature a cocktail hour, silent auction and dinner, followed by entertainment and a live auction.
Magician and comedian Joe Cole of Omaha will perform strolling magic at each table during the meal, then give an interactive stage show with assistance from the audience.
Tickets were required in advance, and the event is sold out. Stuhr said the Foundation moved the event from its former venue at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Hall in Utica, which could accommodate about 200 people.
“We are sold out with 312 tickets. That’s the most we’ve ever sold,” Stuhr said.
Area businesses and individuals have donated 30 items for the silent auction, 20 for the live auction and five raffle prizes.
A few of the items include a quarter beef, a custom made cornhole set, a guided ice fishing excursion, 18 holes of golf, a handmade Centennial Broncos-themed blanket, a pheasant hunt and tickets to different events in Omaha and Lincoln.
“We try to make sure we’ve got everybody covered,” Stuhr said.
Auction items will be available to view on the Utica Community Foundation Facebook page prior to the event.
Stuhr said Tie One On is a unique event. Even though it has changed locations, he hopes the focus remains on helping the Utica community.
“Utica doesn’t have anything else like this,” he said. “It’s a night people can get dressed up and have some good food while supporting a good cause.”
The Utica Community Foundation is a nonprofit under Seward County Bridges, making donations tax-deductible.
Donation checks can be made to Seward County Bridges, Inc. with “Utica Community Foundation – Utica Rescue” noted in the memo. Donations may be dropped off at the Seward Civic Center or mailed to Seward County Bridges, Inc., 616 Bradford St., Seward, NE 68434.
