GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – After the nonprofit organization Aspiro lost its fleet of buses in a fire at the end of February, it has raised enough money to replace all four vehicles.
Aspiro, which provides services to people with disabilities, has raised $484,000 to replace the fleet. The buses are used on a daily basis to transport their clients to work and community outings.
$126,000 solely came from their Gofundme account, which media outlets, like WFRV, promoted in public service announcements.
Aspiro’s Vice President of Development Nicole Hoffmann says, “We were overwhelmed with how much our community came together to help us rebuild and get back on our feet.”
The remainder of the money came from individual fundraisers, insurance proceeds, and donors like PMI Entertainment Group. The company, which is responsible for organizing events like ones at the Resch Center, donated $60,000 to the cause.
Terry Charles, PMI Corporate Communications Senior Manager says, “Our mission statement is basically improving the quality of lives in northeastern Wisconsin. [Aspiro] also improves the quality of lives in northeastern Wisconsin, so it’s a win-win and we’re happy to be able to do this.”
Aspiro is currently awaiting two buses to be delivered, and the other two will be ordered soon. In the meantime, the organization relied on New Hope and Oneida Transit to help with transportation.
While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, the organization has installed security cameras and cages for their catalytic converters to prevent an event like this from happening again.