Clare Wilson Fund Continues A Legacy of Service
After 20 years as a volunteer firefighter, few calls leave Matt Skrekla, captain of Fuller Hose Company, speechless. But Skrekla won’t soon forget the phone call when fellow Fuller volunteer Clare Wilson told him of his plan to donate $50,000 to the department.
After he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Wilson wanted to ensure the department and community that he loves will be cared for long into the future. “I do what I can, when I can,” said Wilson, who was born and raised in North East.
Wilson joined the Fuller Hose Company in 2008 after retiring from GE. He served as the department’s chaplain and as an emeritus fire police officer, making sure his colleagues were safe each time the department responded to a call. Wilson’s commitment to the department earned him many recognitions including firefighter of the year in 2021 and rookie of the year in 2009.
To honor his legacy of service, Fuller Hose established the Clare Wilson Fund with the North East Community Foundation in 2021. The fund helps the fire company in two critical ways:
meeting immediate equipment needs and ensuring that funds will be there in the future to support the changing needs of the community.
In December 2022, thanks to the Clare Wilson Fund, the department received a much-needed new piece of equipment — an F550 multipurpose truck that will assist in brush fires and water rescues. Since the Clare Wilson Fund provided half of the money for the truck, Wilson’s name was incorporated into the design and is illuminated at all times.
“It’s a little bigger than I imagined,” said Wilson with a chuckle, referring to the monster tires that give the vehicle 20 inches of clearance even through water. “I’m proud that I had a hand in it.”
The Clare Wilson Fund will also help the department maintain and grow a much-needed nest egg, which is why they opted to establish the fund with the North East Community Foundation where professional investors manage the portfolio to maximize security and growth.
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