Volunteers raise money for Santa Barbara Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle

A new emergency response vehicle will be delivered to the Santa Barbara Red Cross thanks to fundraising by caring volunteers.

They celebrated with a reception at the Santa Barbara Club on Wednesday.

That is where donors had a chance to see a similar vehicle from Orange County.

It is used for delivering emergency supplies and for crisis counseling.

Claude Dorias spearheaded the fundraising effort.

“I saw the old emergency response vehicle called ERV. It gave up the ghost after the mudslides and the Thomas fire, after 23 years it wouldn’t do more than 20-miles-an-hour, it was Irreparable. There was nothing we could do, we needed a new one,” said Dorias.

Lynda Nahra agreed.

“We are celebrating the fact that we were able to raise $150,000 to get this ERV, and people we went to all them basically said, “Yes” because why wouldn’t we want something like this in our community.”

Donors include Dorias, Nahra, United Way, Montecito Bank & Trust,, Santa Barbara Foundation, Pacific Western Bank, John and Ariel Bowers, Union Bank, The Outhwaite Foundation, FHL Bank of San Francisco, John & Ellen Coudray, Christine Garvey, Susan and Steven Engles, Rotary Club of Montecito, and Maureen A. Grattan.

The Mercedes vehicle should be delivered in 12-18 months.