Retired farmer donates $15,000 to squad The Beacon, 7/5/06
By: Linda Seida, Staff Writer
EAST AMWELL — Thanks to the generosity of retired farmer Rectford Case and his wife, Jean, the Amwell Valley Volunteer Rescue Squad is a huge step closer to buying the land it needs for a new and larger building.
Mr. Case, 82, recently donated $15,000 to the organization. He said it was his way of giving back and of, hopefully, encouraging others to give, too. The squad still needs $20,000 to reach its goal of $250,000.
"Myself, I've had two rides to Doylestown" with the squad, Mr. Case said. He received a pacemaker in December.
The squad also has been good to his grandson, Erik Zimmerman Jr. Although the recent eighth-grade graduate has not needed emergency transport, the squad knows the young cancer survivor could call them at any time for problems that developed because of his treatment, said Mr. Case's daughter, Norma Zimmerman of East Amwell.
Mr. Case has "always wanted to do something for the squad," Mrs. Zimmerman said.
During his youth on the farm, there wasn't a lot of money for extras or things like donations. Life was a struggle in 1931, when he was a young boy and the family began farming, according to Mr. Case. "When I was a kid, there was nothing to give," he said.
Now that he has it, he wants to share it with the rescue squad. His family has been helped, and the possibility exists they'll need the squad in the future. "You hope it never happens, but it can," Mr. Case said. "Rescue squads; you're dealing with life." He sounded shy when he talked about the donation.
"I ain't much for publicity," he said.
Continued: http://tinyurl.com/ekkor
"To give and then not feel that one has given is the very best of all ways of giving." ~Max Beerbohm
