COMMUNITY

Advantage Heating raises $28K for first responders

Dan Sommers, of Advantage Heating, presents a check to Chief Jeff Cowan of the Keizer Fire District Saturday, Sept. 28. The Keizer Fire Foundation will put its portion of the money into purchasing smoke detectors and investing in a public education campaign.

Salem and Keizer emergency first responders received a generous donation to help them do their jobs, thanks to the contributions of a local heating and air conditioning company. 

Advantage Heating and Air Conditioning LLC. owner Dan Sommers and his company made the commitment to give back generously to the community they serve and they elected to make the beneficiary our community first responders, police and firefighters in the Salem/Keizer area.

With the goal of raising funds for projects that might otherwise go unfunded for emergency responders, the Advantage team reached out to Daikin Heating and Air Conditioning Manufacturing Company who agreed to match their contributions dollar-for-dollar. Working also with the Salem and Keizer chambers of commerce, businesses were quick to get behind the fundraising effort.

All-in-all, the group raised $28,550 to be divvied up evenly four ways, between Salem Police, Keizer Police, Salem Fire and Keizer Fire. Contributions will go directly to their respective non-profit foundations such as the Keizer Fire Foundation, Salem Police Foundation, Salem Fire Foundation and Keizer Police. 

The Keizer Fire Foundation intends to put the funds immediately to work in the community by purchasing smoke alarms and going door to door in a public safety effort to assure a working smoke alarm in every home. Advantage employees have pledged to help that installation effort in Keizer too, and go door to door beside the firefighters as their technicians have the expertise to install the simple smoke alarm devices as well.

Members from Advantage Heating and Air Conditioning, Daikin, Salem and Keizer Chamber of Commerce, Keizer Police, Keizer Fire, Salem Police, and Salem Fire all joined in the check presentation ceremony alongside Salem Mayor Chuck Bennett, Keizer City Councilor Laura Reid, and foundation presidents of each benefactor organization.

Earlier in the month, representatives at Avamere Court at Keizer dropped off a $300 donation at Keizer Fire Station, proceeds from a gift basket raffle, along with an array of edible treats from the Avamere kitchen.