The Greenwich Emergency Medical Service, Inc. (GEMS) is hosting a 30th Anniversary Dinner fund-raiser on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Gabriele’s Italian Steakhouse, 35 Church St. The evening’s theme is a birthday celebration, and many attendees will be there to celebrate their “second” birthday, which is the day that GEMS saved their life.
“We are looking forward to a festive event that will enable us to highlight key milestones GEMS has achieved in the last 30 years while honoring patients who have benefited from our life-saving mission,” said Gerard N. Saggese III, Chair of the Dinner Committee.
GEMS is expecting 100 guests who will enjoy a four-course meal, which will be paired with wines donated by Val’s Putnam Wines & Liquors. Event sponsors include Greenwich Hospital, Stamford Hospital and Eastford Fire & Rescue.
Ten local bakeries and one GEMS staff member are donating cakes, which will double as table centerpieces and then be served for dessert. Participating bakeries include: Aux Delices, Balducci’s, Black Forest Pastry Shop, By the Way Bakery, Citerella, DiMare Pastry Shop, Greenwich Cakery, King’s, Sweet Lisa’s Exquisite Cakes and Versailles. Linette Usowski, a GEMS Advanced Emergency Medical Technician, is also baking a cake.
“The evening will be a success thanks to the generosity of so many community organizations,” said John R. Raben, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “The support of our sponsors and local bakeries as well as those who attend will help us reach our fundraising goals.”
While guests wine and dine they will have the opportunity to have their picture taken in a photo booth, play “Heads or Tails” to win a prize donated by Manfredi Jewels, and raise their paddle to support GEMS’s mission. Tickets are $200 per person, and are still available for purchase at GEMS30th.eventbrite.com.
GEMS began operations in 1986 as an independent, non-profit organization. GEMS is not part of the Town of Greenwich, unlike the Police and Fire departments. GEMS pays for its capital needs through its fundraising efforts, and has thus saved the Town more than $8 million since 1986.
About Greenwich Emergency Medical Service
The mission of Greenwich Emergency Medical Service, Inc. (GEMS) is to provide the highest level of pre-hospital and emergency medical care to reduce the risk of death and disability due to trauma and sudden illness.
Each year GEMS responds to 6,000 emergency calls from four stations that are manned 24/7. This enables GEMS to respond to 70-75% of calls in 5 minutes or less, which exceeds the response time of most EMS services. The organization currently has a fleet of seven ambulances, and to remain progressive it is critical that it replaces one ambulance each year. For more information visit greenwichems.org.
