Ambulance Volunteers Serving Up 1,000 Meatballs This Weekend

Long a staple of the local fundraising scene, spaghetti dinners bring together community members and volunteers for food, socializing and raising funds for important causes.

a spaghetti dinner at the Patch interrupted corps member Donna Perez's meatball-making to ask her about the event.

Perez, a home care nurse for Montefiore Medical Center, lives in Bedford Hills with her husband, Cesar, and two children, Jessica, 19, and Heather, 12. 

Patch: How did the spaghetti tradition get started?

Perez: The spaghetti dinner was started in the late 80's by Bea Clark and Myrna Burbank, who ran it back then. About ten years after that, Hank Tschorn chaired the dinner. Then decided to try something different by doing the last few years. But many of us at the corps missed the intermingling with the community and the chance for everyone to get to know us better. So as we started talking about the spaghetti dinner and how we missed it, I decided to step up and become the chair of the committee and my co-chair Jerry Moskowitz came forward to help. Together we have put it back together and hope that the community comes to support us and again get re-acquainted.  

Patch: So, who does the cooking? And will there be meatballs? 

Perez: Jerry and I will be doing the cooking. Yes, there will be plenty of meatballs—one thousand of them. We will also have sweet Italian sausage, garlic bread, a salad bar and desserts made mostly by our members. And drinks.

Patch: Now we're hungry! What about you—tell us about your role in the organization.

Perez: I'm an Emergency Medical Technician and have volunteered with the corps almost 23 years. My husband, Cesar, is the reason I joined—I joined with him one month before we got married—but I stuck with it because it's rewarding. I've served as president , vice president, both corresponding and recording secretary and served on our Board of Trustees and chaired numerous committees. I am currently running for president now.

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Patch: What's most gratifying aspect about volunteering for KBHVAC?

Perez: I feel rewarded by helping my community. I like being able to help my friends and neighbors when they need us. I also like to teach new members coming in so they to can feel the same way I do about volunteering.  

Patch: What's the most exciting call you've been on?

Perez: It was recent. We brought someone back to life after they collapsed and went into cardiac arrest. With the help of Westchester EMS paramedics, we were able to successfully bring them back to life. The individual was transferred from Northern Westchester Hospital to Westchester Medical Center for them to clear some blockages. The individual walked out two days later.

Patch: Why should someone get involved with KBHVAC?

Perez: Because they have a desire to help their community and enjoy the feeling of family that we have at the corps. You get to know a lot of new people and we all come from all walks of life, I find that very interesting. The ambulance corps is the most rewarding job you can ever have.