First Aid Squad Vying For $250,000 Prize

Springfield's Springfield First Aid Squad, the township's primary provider of emergency medical care, is taking to the Internet in an effort to win a grant from Chase.

Chase Community Giving, the philanthropic arm of Chase, is allocating $5 million to give to 200 local charities.  The contest is being conducted through Facebook, where each competing organization has a page to collect votes from the public.

The organization that receives the most votes will win $250,000.  The next four will be awarded $100,000 and the remaining top 195 charities will gain $20,000.

You can vote for the Springfield First Aid Squad by clicking here.  The squad is asking for friends, residents, employees in town, and anyone else to vote and to share the link with others.  The deadline to vote is 11:59 p.m. on July 12.

"Given recent economic realities, we realize that it is harder for individuals to cover all of our expenses and are thankful for grant opportunities, such as this one from Chase, to help us keep our community safe," said Apu Mullick, captain of the First Aid Squad.

"We know we probably won't have more votes than a large, national organization to win the top prize, [but] even one of the runner-up awards would make a tremendous difference in our budget and help make sure we can serve Springfield for many more years," Mullick said.

Founded in 1949, the Springfield First Aid Squad is the primary provider of emergency medical treatment and transportation to the township's residents and passersby.  The squad is made up of volunteers and relies solely upon donations from the public to operate.

To give your vote to the Springfield First Aid Squad, click here.