CRANBERRY TWP — The Cranberry Township Community Chest brought in more than $1,200 this past week as it continues plans to raise $500,000 for the 2015 Project of the Year.

The Community Chest has been fundraising since summer and has collected $355,487 for the project, which is an effort to recruit and retain more volunteer firefighters in Butler County.

There's been a shortage of volunteer firefighters for several years, according to Community Chest treasurer Bruce Mazzoni.

That's why the Community Chest is spending $150,000 to buy two emergency trailers for educational, training and recruitment purposes. Those trailers will be rotated among every fire department in the county.

The Community Chest is putting the rest of the money toward scholarships at Butler County Community College. Anyone who pledges two years of service to a volunteer fire department will be eligible for a scholarship.

While fundraising has slowed in the past several weeks, Mazzoni expects more donations to come in next month.

“Donations continue to come in,” he said. “We're still expecting some larger donations from some businesses and foundations but not until March.”

The most recent round of donations includes a $150 gift from David and Francie Spigelmyer; $125 from David and Jennifer Kochis, Raymond and Brenda Egan, the Doherty family and Warren Mathe; $100 from Gregg and Ellen Fiorina and Kathleen and David Mazzocco; $50 from Ray Steffler, Dean and Linda Ziegler, the Tri-Max Manufacturing Co., Shirley Citrone and the Pindroh family; $25 from Virginia Fisher, Diane and Jim Bowser, Alexander and Mary Sanguigni and Normal and Marjorie Brzenick; and $10 from Joyce Krauchuk.

Anyone who wants to donate or to learn about the project can visit the community chest's website at www.ctcchest.org.

The chart showing the project's progress is on Page D1.