Unionville Volunteer Fire Company members, from left, Russ Weitzel, Mike Iscrupe, Ken Lawrence and Carl Wagner show off the department's new rescue boat. The boat was displayed last week as part of the closing ceremony for First United Methodist Church's vacation Bible school.

Students in First United Methodist Church's vacation Bible school classes got to see where their charitable contributions went last week at the church's Crossfire campus, 1802 N. Main St. Extension.

That's where members of the Unionville Volunteer Fire Company brought over their just-purchased rescue boat for the students to see.

Chelsea Kelosky, team leader for the vacation Bible school, said the 200 to 250 students collected money from June 19 to 23 to donate to the fire company for equipment for the company's new rescue boat.

“Every year we pick a mission and collect donations and offerings,” Kelosky said.

She said vacation Bible school students always collect and contribute money for a local cause, recently raising $2,500 to purchase a police dog. Last year's contribution went to First United Methodist's missions to Wayne County, Ohio.

Kelosky said the vacation Bible school approached the fire company about taking up donations for the new craft.

“A church member who is a member of the Meridian (fire) department graciously turned my attention to Unionville,” she said.

The vacation Bible school's contributions couldn't have come at a better time said Unionville Fire Chief Nathan Wulff.

The department purchased the rescue boat June 10.

The 16-foot-long craft can seat eight people.

“This is a replacement for the one we bought in 1981. It's a very specialized piece of equipment,” said Wulff.

“It's a flat-bottomed boat with a platform allowing divers to get in and out of the water from the bow of the boat,” Wulff said.

“When it's ready, it will be essential for rescue and our dive team,” he said.

The Unionville fire company has need of a rescue boat, and a 12-member dive team for that matter, because of the company's nearness to Lake Arthur.

“It's an historical thing. Right around the creation of Lake Arthur, it was originally under Unionville jurisdiction,” Wulff said.

“We're the closest water rescue unit to that lake.”

The department will put its previous rescue boat, purchased in 1981, up for sale.

Wulff said the new addition is actually the third rescue boat owned by the department but “this is actually the first that was designed for rescue.”

Kelosky said the rescue boat exhibition was June 23 as part of the closing ceremony for the vacation Bible school.

She said the donation to the fire department fit in well with the school's theme of “Created for a Purpose.”