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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 13 December 2023

Created: 13 December 2023

Last Updated: 14 December 2023

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Students from the Families Fighting Flu Club and many members of the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps turned out at Village Hall on Tuesday night December 12 to receive proclamations for their work to fight flu and COVID. As a result of their collaboration, 504 influenza and COVID vaccines were administered at three clinics in October and November 2023. In addition, two SCARVAC volunteers were honored, each for over 40 years of service to the organization and the community.

SHS student Lexi Kanowitz started the Families Fighting Flu Club to honor the memory of her sister Amanda who passed away from the flu on March 1, 2004. The club was founded to raise awareness of the risks of influenza and to help prevent other families from experiencing the pain of the Kanowitz family. Lexi serves as Co-President of the club, along with fellow junior board member Brandon Cascade. The club now has 130 members, 30 of whom worked at the clinics. She said, "My yeaar old sister Amanda died suddenly from influenza on March 1, 2004. She was not vaccinated because back then the flu shot was not recommended for her age group."

Some of the students were present at Village Hall to receive a proclamation from Mayor Justin Arest. SVAC President David Raizen was in attendance to discuss the recent vaccine clinics, to honor Karen Sheer and Marvin Gross, two longtime volunteers who have served for over 40 years, and to ask for community support for the organization’s fund drive.

SHS Families Fighting Flu Club

Here are his comments:

"It takes a village to raise a child" is an African proverb telling us that it is the responsibility of the entire community to provide the safe and healthy environment for our children. In the case of COVID, our village response includes not only municipal services but also Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Today in what we hope is a post- covid world, we have taken on the role of continuing to test people for covid and are now vaccinating for both covid and flu.

Those Scarsdale Village children I just mentioned are already giving back to our community. In our latest round of COVID and flu vaccinations, we were assisted by Scarsdale High School's, Families Fighting Flu Club. They are learning to provide a safe and healthy environment for all.

During our last three vaccine clinics 30 student volunteers from the SHS Families Fighting Flu Club helped SVAC with 541 vaccinations. These students helped in many ways including at sign-in, as process expeditors and scribes for vaccinators. We are proud to say that it was no more than five minutes from walking in the door to leaving - fully vaccinated!

This is the first year we have been able to provide vaccines thanks to Amy Paulin who made sure we were an approved site for a Community Paramedicine pilot program. Given our success, next year SVAC will start earlier in vaccinating, with more clinics and ultimately plans to vaccinate more people.

SVAC and the Village BoardScarsdale VAC is obviously much more than a vaccination clinic. Just this year we have responded to 1,718 calls, responding to medical emergencies at any hour of the day or night. We also work closely with our home-bound residents, transporting them to medical appointments and bringing to their homes covid-testing and vaccinations as needed.

In 2023 our Scarsdale VAC training center taught five CPR courses at our headquarters, and a mass class at Scarsdale High School for 187 people, as well as four NYS DOH Certified EMT classes with 73 total participants, 24 of whom were Scarsdale High School students completing their Senior Options.

Our volunteers have given more than 5,500 hours of their own personal time this year.

Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps responds to medical emergencies, transports patients to and from doctor visits administers to the homebound, provides COVID and Flu testing and vaccinations, and offers EMT and CPR training with a budget that is under one million dollars a year.

Scarsdale VAC does all of this - emergency response, home-bound aide, vaccinations and training all with a budget of less than one million dollars a year and I think some context will help our community to understand just how extraordinary is our fiscal performance.
The Town of Pelham recently put out a bid for ambulance service and agreed to pay $1.7 million dollars annually to Eastchester VAC, for one advanced life support ambulance. This contract is ONLY for ambulance service. Eastchester VAC will not be providing any of the additional services I highlighted earlier to the residents of Pelham.

I am proud to say that Scarsdale VAC is amongst the best ambulance service in New York State, providing more services than almost any community in New York State. Our membership is, and should be, proud of what we have accomplished!

Our fund drive was mailed to 6,897 homes, so far 480 have responded. Right now, the fact is that we have vaccinated more people than those who donated. Our taxes do not pay for SVAC. We survive by donations and soft billing for ambulance responses. Note that although we bill through insurance for some of our services, the insurance reimbursement rate only covers a small fraction of our actual expenses.

To date we are lucky that we survive based on a few very generous residents. We hope we can count on a broader base of community support in the future. Chances are SVAC has made a positive impact in your life.

Please make your donation today to Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps, P.O. Box 92, Scarsdale, NY. We need your support!

Karen Sheer, Justin Arest, David Raizen and Marvin Gross

The second part of my comments tonight have to do with our membership. During covid we were unable to celebrate SVAC 50th anniversary. Getting together and inviting the residents to help us celebrate, just wasn’t in the cards. Our efforts were in topics already discussed. Unfortunately, we missed honoring two of our members who have more than 40 years volunteering at SVAC. Karen Sheer-Carpenter and Marvin Gross. Karen started on Monday nights at SVAC in 1981 and quickly became a NYS certified EMT. In the mid- 80’s Karen became the recording secretary for SVAC, which is a position she still holds today. She has also taught a countless number of CPR classes at SVAC over the years. Karen’s night shifts have moved to Thursday, and she has rarely missed a shift. Karen is a valuable member of SVAC.

Marvin Gross joined the ambulance corps in 1982. The ambulance corps is in Marvin’s blood. Marvin has lived in town his entire ambulance career, and most people know him from his license plate SVAC EMT. Marvin also took the NYS EMT class in the early 80’s and has been driving and riding in the ambulance since then. During and post COVID, Marvin became SVAC’s official parking guru. Standing in the cold, making sure the traffic flowed as the cars were in and out of our lot for vaccinations. Marvin is constantly taking CME sessions and in doing so, has had almost every disease he learned about. Throughout and since COVID, Marvin has brought donuts to the building almost every morning keeping us all fat. During the pandemic Marvin contacted COVID and gave all of us a horrible scare. We were thrilled that Marvin pulled through and continues to be a proud member of SVAC and brings us donuts!