By Times Chronicle Staff
The annual Anarchist Mountain Silent Auction has raised $10,000 for the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department.
Running for nine years, the auction is organized by a team led by Wendy Barlow. “This year, we initially generated $9,720, but an anonymous donor wanted to bump it up to $10,000 and donated another $280. We are overjoyed with this amount!” Barlow said.
“A huge thank you to every business or individual that donated to this event, as well as those that supported it.”
The 12-member auction team starts planning in February with the auction this year running from July 14-17.
Previously the auction was a live, one-day event on the mountain but since COVID has shifted to an online platform running for three days, which has been very successful, Barlow adds.
“The mandate for AMFD is ultimately for fire suppression in our district,” commented Urs Grob, Chief of the AMFD.
“The donations from the Silent Auction allow us to run and equip a medical first responder team as well as technical rescue which benefits not only our residents, but for those that pass through our protection area,” he said.
“The outpouring of ongoing support that AMFD receives is incredible, and every member in the department genuinely appreciates it.”
The Anarchist Mountain Community Society hosted the auction site and collection of funds. Money raised from this annual auction is a key support for the specialized technical teams that the AMFD runs, such as medical first responders, auto extrication and rope rescue.
A new non-profit organization – the Anarchist Mountain Fire Rescue Society (AMFRS) – has been formed to coordinate fundraising and overseeing the training and needs of the specialized programs, along with leading safety and wildfire prevention programs in the community.
This new society is in the process of gaining registered charity status. From next year the auction will fall under the purview of the AMFRS.
