Summer of Kindness Project 8: Ambulance Fund Donation

Eight-year-old Alannah Rigosu knows ambulance rides are not free, but believes they should be. While attending the National Night Out event in Guilderland earlier this summer, Alannah visited the Sunmark Charitable Community Foundation’s table where she helped the Kindness Crew plant a community garden for the fourth Summer of Kindness project. Alannah also filled out a kindness deposit form describing her own idea to spread kindness – free ambulance rides for people who need them.

The Sunmark Charitable Community Foundation and Beekman 1802 could not pass up the opportunity to help Alannah fulfill her wish, and selected her idea as one of their projects for their Summer of Kindness initiative, which wraps up later this month.

On Tuesday, September 7, Alannah and her family joined Kindness Crew members at the Guilderland EMS station to carry out the eighth Summer of Kindness project. Guilderland EMS members were on site to greet Alannah, treating her to an ambulance tour where she learned about the medical devices, equipment and sirens used in the event of an emergency where an ambulance is called.

Immediately following the tour, Alannah presented a $2,000.00 check made out to the Guilderland EMS Hardship Fund – a donation made by the Sunmark Charitable Community Foundation in Alannah’s name. The Hardship Fund is reserved for those in need of financial assistance in paying bills that are received from having required an ambulance ride.

According to the Guilderland EMS Director, Jay Tyler, the cost of a basic transport can range from $700 - $1,000 not including life support, which can push costs to $1,5000 or more. Insurance may not always fully cover the fees associated with this service, or may have high deductibles or copays, which can often leave people with unexpected expenses that some are unable to afford. Thanks to people like Alannah, the Hardship Fund will be able to help the people who need it.

To learn more about our other Kindness Projects, visit our Summer of Kindness page at sunmark.org/kindness.