Deb Spalding
The members of the Thurmont Community Ambulance Service, Inc. have officially opened a large facility for public event rentals and their own fundraising activities. This 28,600-square-foot venue was designed by Company member, Jim Rice. It is situated on 21.5 acres of ground, adjacent to the Thurmont Little League baseball fields in Thurmont, and accessed by Lawyer’s Lane off of Route #550.
The 10,000-square-foot main room seats eight hundred people spaciously, and can accommodate many more, standing. The stage is 46’x18’ and is accessed by stairs or a lift. Five ambulance bays, a storage bay, and a huge, and a fully-equipped (thanks to a gracious donor) kitchen complete the spacious facility. From the main room, there are several serving windows, including a self-serve soda fountain and two bar windows.
Future plans include the use of the grounds for festivals, weddings, and outdoor events. In the future, pavilions and amenities will be built on the grounds for that purpose. The water wheel from the former Cozy Restaurant will eventually be installed in some manner for all to enjoy.
The Company’s president, Lowman Keeney, said, “The construction took two-and-a-half years, and there were many road blocks. Our own membership did a tremendous amount of the work.” Donations and grants were heavily relied upon throughout the process. Funding was provided through Frederick County Bank, with Denise Guyton Boyer and Roxan Welch managing the allocation. “Thanks to all who volunteered to make the project come to life,” expressed Keeney.
Renters may either arrange that the Ambulance Company to cater their events or rent the facility and contract their choice of caterer. The Ambulance Company has a full liquor license for events they sponsor. The Ambulance Company has planned sportsman dinners, seafood feeds, bingos, and concerts inside the complex, beginning with an Open House for the community to tour the facility on February 11, 2017, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Upcoming events include a Turkey, Ham & Oyster Dinner on February 18, a Wing & Fried Shrimp Feed on March 25, a Pot Pie & Fried Chicken Feed on March 31, and the band, The Amish Outlaws, on November 11.
“We appreciate when citizens attend a function, because their participation comes back as a donation for the community to provide emergency services. The alternative is paying taxes for the services. We do have twelve-hour career staff from 6:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday,” said Keeney.
The spacious main room at the new Thurmont Community Ambulance Event Complex is shown.
Pictured is the grand, fully equipped kitchen at the new Thurmont Community Ambulance Event Complex.
