St. Patrick's Day Benefit for Montclair Ambulance Unit Upcoming

The Montclair Ambulance Unit will hold its third annual St. Patrick's Day Benefit on March 16 at the Commonwealth Club, at 26 Northview Ave.

The honoree for this year's ceremonies will be Joseph Hartnett, former Montclair township manager.

“When Joe took on the assignment as township manager in 2003, he quickly became a staunch supporter of the MAU,” said Councilor Rich McMahon, MAU vice president and event chair.

“Joe worked hard to get MAU its new home on Walnut Street and helped smooth the unit’s transition to a new organizational structure.”

The St. Patrick’s Day event will raise the funds necessary to maintain and upgrade equipment for the ambulance squad. This is the ambulance unit's major fundraiser of the year.

“Ultimately, we need to do this so the Montclair Ambulance Unit can continue to bring the town the first class emergency medical service it has come to expect,” McMahon said.

The St. Patrick’s Day Benefit will be a bash and music, pipers, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and raffles.

Tickets purchased in advance are $50 per person, $40 for members of uniformed services. All day-of-show ticket purchases will be $60.

For information: call (973) 783-7624, www.mvau.org or send an email to info@mvau.org. 

Doors at the Commonwealth Club will open at 7 p.m. the day of the event. 

The Honoree

Hartnett’s key initiatives as township manager included support for the People with Disabilities Committee’s efforts to build an All Children’s Playground, as well as jump-starting downtown redevelopment.

“Joe will always be remembered as someone who made things happen in and for Montclair,” McMahon said. “He got things done.”

Since leaving Montclair in 2010 for the Jersey Shore, Hartnett has consulted to law enforcement organizations and performed managerial turnarounds for municipalities.

Joe and his wife Georgia frequently travel to see their son, Colin, perform as lead timpanist for the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra and as guest timpanist with regional orchestras throughout the country.

About the Montclair Ambulance Unit

A non-profit independent of the township, the ambulance unit serves Montclair and surrounding communities and has responded to more than 200,000 medical emergencies since it was founded in 1953.

EMTs undergo rigorous and continuing training. The unit is staffed every day of the year and maintains a response time twice as fast as the industry standard.