CRANBERRY TWP — The 2015 Project of the Year got a $5,000 boost this week when Bruce and Connie Mazzoni donated to the initiative.

The project, which is an effort by the Cranberry Township Community Chest, is an initiative to recruit and retain more volunteer firefighters in Butler County.

Organizers are seeking to raise more than $500,000 for the project, which includes $130,000 for buying a new emergency trailer that will be used for educational and training purposes.

The rest of the money will go to establishing scholarships at the Butler County Community College. Those scholarships will go to anyone who trains and pledges to serve for two years as a volunteer firefighter.

The $5,000 donated by the Mazzonis of Cranberry now brings the total raised to $191,342. Officials only have been actively raising funds for a little more than a month.

Bruce Mazzoni, the treasurer of the community chest and chairman of the township supervisors, said he’s pleased with the pace of fundraising and added that Community Chest officials are in the final stages of creating marketing materials for more fundraising efforts.

Those officials also are planning a meeting with fire departments to educate them more about the project.

“We’re looking to have a get-together with all of the fire companies to introduce them more to the project,” Mazzoni said. “At the same time we’re looking for other ambassadors for the project.”

Those meetings are expected to take place in September, he said.