On Thursday, June 29, the Falcon’s Landing Retirement Community council presented Sterling Fire Company and Rescue Squad volunteers a $48,978 check to say thanks for their service.
Falcon’s Landing residents and Board of Supervisors Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling) and Mick Staton (R-Sugarland Run) thanked the volunteers for donating their time to the community at a luncheon.
Falcon’s Landing council president Charles "Buck" Buckingham sent letters to residents asking them to donate money to the volunteer fire and rescue squads. Buckingham is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel.
"This is an annual fund raiser," Buckingham said. "We have an aging population here. They serve us."
LAST YEAR, the Sterling Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squads made more than 200 visits to Falcon’s Landing Retirement Community in Potomac Falls.
"They volunteer their time for us," Buckingham said.
Sterling Volunteer Fire Company president Ren Nehls said the donation is greatly appreciated because the Sterling volunteer firefighters give up their spare time to serve the community.
"We appreciate the Falcon’s Landing residents' donation," he said. "We love to do what we do."
Vice president of Sterling Volunteer Fire Company Robert Weber said the money is greatly appreciated, because fire and safety funds are low right now.
"We do this because we love it," Weber said. "We would do this without the money, but it’s icing on the cake when we receive donations like this, especially in such a fiscally constrictive time."
Weber said the 80 volunteer firefighters in Sterling have regular jobs, but show up to work 10 to 12 hours at night. Weber is an eighth-grade social studies teacher at Seneca Ridge Middle School in Sterling and Nehls is a consultant.
FALCON’S LANDING is a retirement community for retired military and their spouses. The gated community, located off of Algonkian Parkway, opened in May 1996.
"Falcon’s Landing has always been a great supporter of the community," Staton said.