CRANBERRY TWP — The Cranberry Township Community Chest’s 2015 Project of the Year is continuing an aggressive marketing campaign to inform resident and businesses about the initiative.

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

That money will go toward buying a $130,000 emergency trailer that will be used for recruiting, educational and training purposes by each fire company in the county.

The rest of the money will go toward establishing scholarships at Butler County Community College.

Bruce Mazzoni, treasurer of the community chest, said Thursday the current fundraising mark sits at $272,277.

He expects more donations to pour in after the community chest last week sent out thousands of fliers to local residents and businesses informing them of the project.

In addition, Mazzoni is working on coordinating a series of articles that will profile local fire companies and the volunteers that comprise those companies.

The marketing campaign was the first attempt by the group to inform the public about the project, and it is planning another marketing blitz in December.

“We’re at the point now where we’re reaching out and asking people to consider volunteering,” Mazzoni said. “That’s what this project is all about. The number one goal is to increase the volunteers in the county.”

Mazzoni added that he will also start going out to local civic groups to ask for their help in spreading the word about the project.

Anyone wishing to donate to the project can do so by visiting the community chest’s website at www.ctcchest.org.