OLD TOWN, Maine — For 20 years, LifeFlight has offered the state of Maine's only emergency air services.
To help cover equipment costs, supplies, and training, the nonprofit runs a month-long fundraiser every year to raise money to support its efforts.
“We’re a flying ICU. Any piece of equipment that they would need in an intensive care unit, we carry," Chuck Hogan, chief clinical officer at LifeFlight, said.
"The ability to pay for new aircraft, new medical equipment," he added. "I mean, all of the things that we use on a daily basis really depend upon activities like this and people participating like this to help us do this.”
The self-led fundraiser, "Cross for LifeFlight," aims to get others to stay active. Anyone can join the fundraiser by doing whatever they are passionate about: running, hiking, biking, sailing, and more.
This month, Ali Simonds from Belfast is diving in for LifeFlight for the month of August.
For the next 31 days, Simonds is swimming in a lake or pond in Maine every single day.
Simonds has been swimming all of her life. However, the challenge went from a hobby to a goal after her father jokingly dared her to swim in every lake and pond in Maine.
Simonds is now doing just that. This month's efforts will add to her overarching goal.
Although she is raising money for LifeFlight, Simonds also sees this opportunity as a perfect way to honor her father as well.
“He was a firefighter. So this would’ve been something that he would’ve felt so strongly about, and the medical service and just helping others runs so deep in my family that this really is honoring him," she explained.
Simonds has already raised more than $1,500 in donations.
To help with her goal, Simonds asks anyone with lake access to reach out to her on her Facebook page or Instagram @mainelakesmermaid.
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