CRANBERRY TWP — Residents and businesses are about to learn more about the Cranberry Township Community Chest’s 2015 Project of the Year.

That’s because the community chest is starting a marketing campaign, spreading word about the project with fliers, mailers and other means in the Cranberry area.

The project of the year is a $500,000 initiative to recruit and retain more volunteer firefighters in Butler County.

The initiative includes $130,000 for buying a new emergency trailer for training and recruitment purposes.

The remaining funds will be used to establish scholarships at the Butler County Community College. Anyone who pledges two years of service to a fire department will be eligible for the scholarships.

Bruce Mazzoni, treasurer of the community chest, said the organization already has raised $275,277 for the project.

That number should see a boost after the community chest mails out more than 6,000 envelopes to residents and businesses telling them of the project.

Furthermore, Mazzoni said there are several “ambassadors” of the project who are seeking donations from their employers, similar to township Supervisor Bruce Hezlep, who recently got a $1,000 grant from his employer.

“I feel very good about the pace of the project,” Mazzoni said. “I think a lot of people have heard about it but don’t know the particular details surrounding it. Our new marketing campaign is an opportunity to give them a little more information about what the project is all about.”

Mazzoni said the marketing campaign will be followed up by a similar effort at the end of December.