'Long-beard' contest to raise money for Princeton squad

This St. Patrick's Day, members of the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad (PFARS) hope they will experience the luck of the Irish as they wrap up a six-week fundraiser sponsored by local restaurant the Alchemist and Barrister.

This year marks the 24th anniversary of the Long Beard Contest in which the A & B raises money each year for a different nonprofit organization based in the Princeton area.

Participants came to the restaurant clean-shaven in early February and paid a $25 entry fee for the chance to see if they could grow the longest beard by St. Patrick's Day, March 17. The proceeds from the contest will help the rescue squad meet its operational expenses, projected at more than $450,000 for the 2003 fiscal year.

PFARS, founded in 1939, provides emergency medical transport and rescue services to both Princeton Township and Borough. According to statistics posted on its website, PFARS answered nearly 2,000 calls for service in 2002, with approximately a third of those calls coming from the University.

PFARS president Mark Mandel GS said the number of calls has continued to rise at a steady 5 percent each year. However, as the squad's costs continue to increase, the number of community members who have donated to PFARS over the past two years has declined by 12 percent.

Each call PFARS answers costs the squad an average of $217. Because the squad does not charge for any of its services and is not affiliated with area hospitals, the drop in donations is especially worrisome for its members and the community it serves.

Currently, almost half of the rescue squad's active volunteers are affiliated with the University, including 20 undergraduates, a graduate student, and two recent graduates. Prospective volunteers are required to undergo rigorous emergency medical technician and CPR training and must also commit to an average of one eight-hour overnight shift every week. Two full-time members work the day shifts.

Although the time commitment can be exhausting, squad members said the rewards of serving their community far outweigh the sacrifices.

"On every call . . . we have an opportunity to act as a patient advocate and to fight for the best care for our patients," Mandel said.

"The moment I knew that being an EMT was worthwhile was on my first call ever when we helped a friend of mine with a broken leg," said PFARS volunteer Sid Dante '05.

"Since then, helping the variety of patients we see from college students to children to the elderly is my motivation for the amount of time I pour into it."

PFARS members, including Caley Schmierer, a waitress at the A & B, will be on hand at the restaurant on St. Patrick's Day to answer questions about the squad's services and thank the community for its support.