Chamber group raises $2,500 for squad, helps it win grant

MONCKS CORNER — The Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Berkeley Class of 2007 has raised $2,500 in donations for the Berkeley County Rescue Squad.

The class also helped the squad get a $2,500 grant from Berkeley Electric Cooperative, squad Capt. Bill Salisbury said. The check was presented Friday and the money will be used to buy equipment for the dive team, he said.

The class chose the squad as its project after a field trip. Salisbury told participants about some of the team's rescues, one of which was especially familiar to class project chairman Steve Parker of Hanahan.

The squad pulled Parker and another fisherman to safety on Lake Moultrie in 2004 after the engine failed on their boat in 40- to 50-mph winds during a tournament. The boat was about to wash up on the banks at Bonneau when rescuers arrived, Parker said.

"It was a life-changing day," he said.

Parker said the class wanted to raise awareness of the squad as well as help its members buy equipment. The 23 rescue volunteers answer more than 100 calls each year, including motor vehicle crashes, land rescues and water missions. Some are lengthy, such as last year's 184-day search for a missing fisherman on Lake Moultrie, Salisbury said.

Leadership Berkeley classes begin in February and end in November. The program gives participants an inside look into how the county operates and develops and strengthens leadership skills, the Chamber said.

For more information on Leadership Berkeley, visit berkeleysc.org.

For more information on the rescue squad, go to berkcorescue.com.

Reach Nita Birmingham at nbirmingham@postandcourier.com.