NORTHFIELD — While the Northfield Dive/Rescue Team is canceling what would have been the 29th annual July lobster bake due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will still hold a fundraising raffle to help cover the team’s operating expenses for the year.
Though it serves the entire county and beyond, the all-volunteer Northfield Dive/Rescue Team receives no public funding, and relies on donations and fundraisers, said Floyd “Skip” Dunnell III, a member of the dive team and Northfield’s fire chief. But amid the pandemic, the team is losing its largest fundraiser in the lobster bake, which is usually held at the Turners Falls Rod & Gun Club.
“In its place, we’re holding an exclusive raffle to keep funds coming in to the team, so we can continue providing services to the towns,” Dunnell explained.
The raffle is limited to 300 tickets at $50 each (which would total $15,000). Tickets give participants a chance to win one of three cash prices of $5,000, $2,000 and $1,000. Dunnell said the team plans to keep about $7,000 from the fundraiser to cover the year’s operating costs and maintenance costs on equipment.
Anyone interested in buying raffle tickets can contact any team member, or call Bill Ryan at 413-834-8088 or Dunnell at 413-498-2256. Tickets are being sold while they last, and Dunnell said a winner will be drawn in November.
Each of the Northfield Dive/Rescue Team’s more than 30 members has to buy some of their own gear, including wet suits and swim fins, Dunnell said. While not all members are divers, the ones who are must also pay out of pocket for certification.
Items purchased by the dive team for use by all members include life jackets, helmets and cold-weather rescue suits, as well as ropes and search lines. Dunnell said recent equipment purchases include swift-water rescue boards and full-face helmets that allow divers to speak with each other, and a team on land, while underwater.
Aside from responding to emergencies, the Northfield Dive/Rescue Team conducts several training sessions each year to prepare for rescues in all seasons and conditions. In the winter, the team wears cold-water rescue suits to practice ice rescues in a frozen Northfield pond. At other times of the year, the team practices swift-water rescue exercises at the Millers River in Erving.
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.