KOA event raises $20,000 for emergency service

Three quarters of the money that was raised during the Devils Tower KOA fundraiser on Independence Day will be going towards the county’s firefighters.

The remaining money, Ogden Driskill told the county commissioners last week, will be donated to EMS agencies.

“This money is all totally unrestricted, you can buy food with it, you can buy equipment, you can buy gas,” Driskill told the commissioners of the $15,000 that will be given directly to the county.

The donation can be utilized or divided up as the commission sees fit, he said.

Commissioner Jeanne Whalen expressed appreciation for this, saying that the commission had been thinking to reach out to the public to explain just how much such things as uniforms cost.

Commissioner Fred Devish made the suggestion to divide the $5000 that will go to ambulance services in Crook County as follows: $3000 to Hulett, $1000 to Pine Haven and $1000 to Moorcroft. He recommended not making a donation to the Sundance service as it has been taken over by Crook County Medical Services District and is no longer voluntary.

Driskill commented that, while the KOA has had fireworks to celebrate July 4 for around 30 years now, this year’s event will impact what happens in the future.

“We intend to do this [fundraiser] every year for July 4, even when we have fireworks,” he said.

On those years when it’s possible to have a firework display, he said, part of the money raised will go towards the $10,000 cost of the event while the rest will be a donation to fire and EMS.

Driskill finished by expressing his gratitude for the volunteers of the county, saying he will be “forever thankful” to them for their efforts.