Tuckerton Lumber Company's $2,000 donation to the 18 Mile Association is 'personal'

To give back to Long Beach Island’s volunteer fire companies and emergency medical services, the Tuckerton Lumber Company donated $2,000 to the 18 Mile Association during the group’s monthly meeting held at the Ship Bottom firehouse on Wednesday, Oct. 15.

The funds were raised by TLC’s “Donation Station/Loot in the Boot” campaign from June through September. TLC customers donated a little over $720, which the local business matched and raised.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
The Island fire companies helped put out a fire at
the TLC's Surf City location after Superstorm Sandy.

The benefit was “more than an awareness campaign, or even a fundraiser,” Elizabeth Harrigle, owner of TLC, said. It was a way for the local business to show its support for the Island’s volunteer organizations, which were instrumental in putting out a fire that occurred at the business’ Surf City location after Superstorm Sandy, which could have been “devastating.”

“For us, this is personal. ... I will never forget getting the call, or seeing every fire truck known to man in our yard,” said Harrigle. “Not only were they able to put out the fire quickly and minimize the damage, but the compassion and support that we got that day made me thankful (again) that I live and work in a small community. There are just no words that accurately describe that feeling.”

The association was very grateful for the gesture.

“We are greatly appreciative of their caring and generous donation,” Tom Medel, president of the 18 Mile Association and Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Co. secretary, said. “It’s really great that a business wanted to step up and give back for something. We do stuff like that all the time to help people, and it’s really nice when people are overly appreciative. It’s really nice that they continue to be thankful for us.

“It’s been a year and a half (since the fire), so it’s nice to know that they still think of us even after some time’s gone by – that they still appreciate what the Island fire companies and first aid squads have done and do.”

Since the fire, Harrigle explained, TLC has come up with a range of “weird and wonderful ways” to “show how we feel,“ such as volunteering during the renovation of the Ship Bottom firehouse led by “Restaurant Impossible,” as well as donating 5 percent of a weekend sale and other events.

The “Donation Station/Loot in the Boot” campaign is expected to become an annual event.

“We believe that this event (and ones like it) are important because our emergency services are all volunteer,” Harrigle said. “The costs of equipment, vehicles, fuel and the average ‘call’ are probably something that people rarely think about, but they are already incredibly high and show no signs of decreasing.

“Our communities rely on them to be there for us, and we (TLC) have made a commitment to be there for them. If this campaign raises awareness of the costs that our emergency services face, or offsets the purchase of much needed equipment, we will be thrilled,” she added.

–Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.