CHINCOTEAGUE, VA — On March 18, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company announced a campaign to purchase a new off-road vehicle that is crucial in rescuing wild ponies on Assateague Island.
The fire company got its first Polaris off-roader in 2018.
"This is the pony ambulance," Hunter Leonard with the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company said of the Polaris. "We really need this."
The "pony ambulance" allows them to reach ponies in need faster and helps volunteers navigate the challenging terrain of Assateague Island on rescue missions. Leonard said the Polaris was a decisive factor in saving the lives of ponies like Wildfire Phoenix.
"Last year, I got a call about six in the morning," Leonard said of the day he met Wildfire Phoenix as a young foal, stuck in the marsh with her injured mother.
The team rescued the foal, later naming her Phoenix for her ability to rise from the ashes during rehabilitation despite losing her mother.
A success story Leonard said was only possible because they had the Polaris.
"She's alive today because we were able to do things like that and get out there," Leonard said.
Phoenix's story is just one of many Leonard said exemplifies how important the off-roader is to their work. Another pony rescued by the fire company on the Polaris is Birdie, who now lives on Leonard's family farm.
"[She] was basically orphaned," Leonard said. "My dad got wrapped up in the story and decided to buy her at the summertime auction ... she's a great little pony, and she would 1,000% not be alive today if we didn't have it [the Polaris]."
After years of use in harsh conditions, the original Polaris needs a replacement, an expense the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company did not budget for.
The fire company turned to the community for donations towards its $25,000 goal. In just 24 hours, donations amounted to more than $5,000.
"A lot of them were small donations made - $20, $25, $50 and that - it means the world to us," Leonard said.
As of March 24, the fire company has raised over $9,500 toward its goal. Leonard said the volunteer fire company is optimistic that the excitement surrounding the 100th-anniversary Pony Swim on Chincoteague this summer will continue to drive donations.