Brunswick was busy Saturday night. Not only was there a concert by a local band, but also a ¹970s family dance night at the volunteer ambulance company.
Some participants dressed in ’70s attire — tiedyed clothes or peasant shirts and jeans — and danced to hits from Aretha Franklin, the Village People and the Bee Gees. Others sat in folding chairs or chatted in the warm air.
The goals of the evening were threefold, said Beth Johnson, one of the event’s organizers.
First, organizers wanted to unite the community and encourage people to come into the Brunswick town center. As part of the city’s ongoing coordinated efforts, the business owners wanted to increase business and bring more life into the town.
It is an activity to ‘‘meet and greet other people,” said Nelson Smith, the assistant chief of the Brunswick Ambulance Company.
The second goal of the event was to recruit ambulance volunteers.
The company needs more emergency medical technicians. They used the time and location of the ’70s family night to hand out educational packets on fire safety and EMT training, as well as to recruit new people to volunteer, said Clair Ebersole, president of the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance Company.
The third reason for the affair was to gain money for the local Shafer family.
The Shafers wanted to raise money to buy Zachary Shafer, a young autistic boy, a wrist transmitter bracelet. This would help his family keep track of him and keep him safe.
The bracelet, a tracking device and receiver, costs $¹,500. The money was to be raised through donations, Johnson said.
Any money raised over that amount was to go to the Park Heights Cemetery, a local cemetery in need of care, Smith said. The cemetery is in need of maintenance and repair, as it has been neglected in recent years.
The event raised around $770, not including donations sent directly to Care Trak for the bracelet, and Johnson is still receiving calls regarding additional donations.
Smith said the July 29 death of Johann Von Ballmoos, an autistic 9yearold boy in Frederick, helped draw attention to the cause. The child had wandered from his home and was found dead a few hours later, submersed in a neighbor’s swimming pool.
Though Saturday’s event was planned at least a month ago, it was unfortunate that the boy’s death coincided with this event, Smith said.
However, that incident effectively illustrated the dangers to autistic children.
The turnout for the event was not high, less than 50 people, but early on in the evening Johnson said, ‘‘There are already more [people] than I thought would come.”
Geri Reynolds, Brunswick’s recreation coordinator, said organizers plan to hold similar events the fourth Saturday of every month.
‘‘We’re trying to raise money, raise awareness and to have a good time,” Johnson said.
Originally published at The Gazette. Thursday, August 4, 2005