91-Year-Old Donates $500,000 to Rural Fire Department

 Sam Sloan has taken the concept of investing in one’s community to the next level. The 91-year-old recently donated $500,000 to his local fire station in Calhoun, a town of roughly 400 in Henry County, Missouri. “Small-town people know how to handle a few dollars,” Sloan told KMBC News.
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The Calhoun Volunteer Fire Department has been struggling with outdated equipment and limited resources, so Sloan’s donation is set to transform their capabilities. Before his gift, the firefighters had just $169 left in the budget. “Never in a million years would I ever expect anything like that for a rural fire department,” said Fire Chief Mark Hardin.
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Now, the department will be able to buy new fire trucks, equipment, and modern gear for all 28 volunteers. The current gear has been in dire need of replacement, dating back to the 1980s and ’90s. “I don’t know how to fix one of them things,” Sloan remarked. “But I know how to make a dollar and there’s a difference there.”
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​Meet Sloan and explore the station.