CRANBERRY TWP — The Cranberry Township Community Chest is already halfway to its $500,000 goal for the 2015 Project of the Year.

That project is an effort to recruit and retain more volunteer firefighters across the county.

The $500,000 will go to buying an emergency trailer that will be used in training, education and recruitment.

The rest of the money will go to establishing scholarships at Butler County Community College. Anyone who wants to use a scholarship must commit to serving as a volunteer firefighter for two years.

Bruce Mazzoni, treasurer of the Community Chest, said that organization recently transferred $75,000 to the project. That raises the total donated to $266,342 in just two months since officials announced the project.

Mazzoni, who is leading this effort, also said the Community Chest board voted to pay all of the costs associated with marketing the project, a move that will ensure every donation goes toward the actual project.

“Nobody's donation is going toward marketing or paying salaries or cell phone,” Mazzoni said. “One-hundred percent of donations are going to the project.”

The treasurer said he's “ecstatic” about the pace of the fundraising, considering the Community Chest hasn't started actively promoting the project yet.

“We're already over half the amount we wanted to raise and we haven't formally started marketing yet,” he said.

Community Chest officials are setting up a series of community sessions in September to further educate the public about the project.

County Commissioner Bill McCarrier, a former volunteer firefighter, said he's “very pleased” with the fundraising.

McCarrier was on hand about two months ago when officials announced the project of the year, and said he was happy the county donated $130,000 to it.

But he's not surprised at what has been achieved so far.

“Anything Bruce Mazzoni gets involved in usually happens,” he said.

Nick Neupauer, BC3 president, seconded those comments and said he is happy fundraising for the project is gaining momentum.

“It's absolutely outstanding in many ways,” he said. “One is that there is a big need in the community for more volunteer firefighters. It also really speaks to Bruce being a leader not only in Cranberry, but in the county and the region.”

For information or to donate, go to the Community Chest website at www.ctcchest.org.