Foundation chair, Brett Haire, On The Summit Volunteer First Aid Squad Capital Campaign

The little Other Fellow First Foundation has its world headquarters located in the Summit Diner.   As foundations go, we are a really only a small bump on the 4 lane highway of life.  That said, we exist to help Summit and other New Jersey families in distress.

Recently, another small organization in town, the Summit Volunteer First Aid Squad approached us for some help.  This selfless, totally volunteer outfit has been on call 24 / 7 watching the back of every Summit family for the last 52 years.  For a myriad of structural and safety reasons, their rescue center, located across from the Summit Middle School, needs to be rebuilt.  Ironically, now that they need help, with rebuilding their facility, they are not very comfortable in asking for it.  I guess their DNA is all about helping others so it is not surprising to learn they are quite bashful, almost awkward, about blowing their own trumpet.

Because the Squad lives financially hand to mouth, relying only on their annual appeal, with zero taxpayer help, they find themselves like a fish out of water when it comes to raising money.  To help them organize their efforts, the Squad hired a professional fundraiser who suggested that Summit, on her best day, with a strong stock market and a lot of wind at her back might be able to raise $2,700,000.00 toward the $5,000,000.00 rebuilding project. 

With the help of former Mayor, Jordan Glatt we respectfully disagreed with the experts, assembling a small group of other Summit believers, including Kevin Cummings, CEO of Investors Bank, and in only one year raised over $4.1million.  While Summit’s quiet generosity is impressive and speaks volumes about her character, capital campaigns are marathons not sprints.  The last mile of every marathon is the toughest and although deeply grateful for our current position, the last $900,000.00 is critical to the First Aid Squad’s success. 

So, if you would like to join a winning team, and can help us by participating in the last mile by responding generously to our public appeal, the little Squad, watching over every Summit family’s back, will be most grateful.  To find out more about the First Aid squad’s capital campaign and/or to make a contribution, please go the website: summitems.org; or email John Christmann, president, at: president@summitems.org.

Kind regards,

Brett Haire

Chairman, Other Fellow First Foundation