By Derek Gentile
The Berkshire Eagle
Copyright 2007 MediaNews Group, Inc. and New England Newspaper Group Inc.
All Rights Reserved
BOSTON — Luis Alberto Concepción, the mayor of Red Sox slugger David Ortiz’s hometown of Haina, had to set the record straight.
Haina, a small town in the Dominican Republic with mostly dirt roads, does have an ambulance, he said. But it is a very old vehicle, with no air conditioning and no medical equipment on board.
“It’s not much,” Concepción admitted glumly through an interpreter last night.
But thanks to the Lenox Ambulance Squad and the Boston Red Sox, that is no longer true.
As Concepción and Ortiz looked on delightedly from the infield at Fenway Park last night, Christopher Long, the head of the ambulance squad, wheeled out a 2001 model from the outfield garage door.
Ortiz, known to Sox fans as “Big Papi,” slapped Concepción on the back as both men watched the ambulance come onto the outfield. “That’s great. That’s just great,” Ortiz said.
Joining Concepción and Ortiz were Lenox Selectmen Chairman Robert T. Akroyd, state Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli, D-Lenox, and ambulance squad members Michael Zinchuk, Linda Clifford, Jake Pyra and Marc Zamboni.
Concepción wore a huge smile throughout the ceremony. Later, he admitted that he and his town had been trying to get an ambulance for several years but to no avail. Haina has four medical centers, but transporting patients to them -- and from one facility to another -- is often a demanding process, he said.
Pignatelli explained that the Red Sox, who were aware of Haina’s problem, began searching for an ambulance several months ago. Heading the search was Pittsfield native Allyce Najimy, a senior consultant for the city of Boston.
So when the Red Sox asked her to cast about for an ambulance, Najimy said, the first person she asked was Pignatelli, an old friend.
And as a matter of fact, Pignatelli did know of an available ambulance.
‘A win-win situation’
“I knew voters at the Lenox town meeting had just approved money for a new ambulance,” he said. “So I knew they also had an old one they were going to get rid of. I told Allyce that if we could work out the details, it would be a win-win situation for everyone.”
And according to Pignatelli, “working out the details” is one of Najimy’s strong suits. Within a few weeks, the Red Sox, through its charitable cultural exchange program, Lindos Suenos, worked out a purchasing arrangement with Lenox town officials. Lindos Suenos means “Beautiful Dream” in Spanish.
Akroyd said the Sox agreed to purchase the ambulance for about $20,000, considerably more than its trade-in value. But in addition, according to Zinchuk, the Lenox ambulance will be “packed” with medical supplies and equipment.
“We’re going to raise some money and make sure they have as much new equipment as we can give them,” Zinchuk said.
“It’s important to emphasize that the Red Sox were very generous with the town of Lenox,” Akroyd said.
Pignatelli also lauded Specialty Vehicles Inc. of North Attleboro, the firm that will manufacture Lenox’s new vehicle, for placing that work on a fast track, thus enabling Lenox to turn over the old one to Haina.
Company President Mark Hooper said he hopes to speed delivery by several months to have the new ambulance in Lenox by the beginning of next year.
Difficult to believe
Yesterday’s presentation of the Lenox ambulance was supposed to have been a surprise. But both Ortiz and Concepción, who was visiting here with his family, were made aware of the gift a few days ago.
Concepción admitted that he had difficulty believing the town actually would get the ambulance until Long wheeled it onto the field.
But as soon as the ambulance came into view, Concepción began shaking everyone’s hand and thanking them. He was followed by Ortiz, who stripped off his batting glove to shake hands.
Even so, said Akroyd, “Big Papi has a big paw.”