The town of Copper Harbor at the top of the Keweenaw Peninsula is hoping online voting will be the key to a new ambulance garage for the community, as they are in the running for a Pepsi Refresh grant this month.
The Copper Harbor Improvement Association is seeking $250,000 to build a multi-purpose facility that would improve emergency response in the area and provide much-needed heated garage and storage space for a new ambulance the town recently acquired.
It's made it to the top vote-getters in September among the 1,000 ideas Pepsi accepts each month for possible community grant funds. Each person can
vote online, on Facebook and Twitter, up to 10 times daily. The project must be voted up to the top two places to win the money.
Earlier this week it stood at 58th place.
The reason the small town needs the garage is to better serve residents and visitors year-round with a prompt ambulance response, says Staci Gibson of the Copper Harbor Improvement Association. Right now, getting an ambulance up to Copper Harbor takes 30 to 45 minutes in good weather, too long for some emergencies.
"We have a wonderful first responder team, EMTs and also paramedics, that live right here in town," Gibson says. "So the benefit of having an ambulance here would mean that they could roll within minutes, and that could make the difference between life and death for somebody."
The $250,000 would build a heated garage with storage and EMT meeting areas, but the facility also would serve other community functions as well. Storage space also would be included for groups like the township, the CHIA and other Copper Harbor organizations, as well as heated public restrooms, to serve the many public events year-round in Copper Harbor.
Voting is open until the end of September, on the
Pepsi Refresh voting site.
Writer: Sam EgglestonSource: Staci Gibson, Copper Harbor Improvement Association
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