Holly Boy Raises $112k for CPR Machines for Area Fire Departments

All it took for Lucas Vetter was a visit to a local fire station. When the 11-year-old visited the Howell Fire Department two years ago, he saw a need and got to work. Since then, he's raised $112,000 to buy life-saving CPR machines for fire stations throughout Livingston County.

Coincidentally, the CPR device is called the LUCAS. It's not named after him, but rather an acronym for the Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist System. It's a piece of gear that assists rescue personnel by performing automated chest compressions on patients who are suffering cardiac distress. Each unit costs around $16,000.

Get our free mobile app

How Does the LUCAS Work?

“It saves a lot of lives and it’s not exactly cheap,” Lucas tells Detroit TV station WXYZ.

In the WDIV video below from 2018, you'll see young Lucas -- dressed for success -- pitching his fundraising efforts to the Marketing Director for First National Bank.

"Not only does it help save the patient's life, it also helps the firemen," Lucas explains. "Because during transport, they can't be buckled in while doing manual CPR."

How Did Lucas Raise So Much Money?

The boy's parents knew he was serious when he devised a business plan for his fundraising efforts.

Immediately after his visit to the fire station, Lucas presented his ideas to his parents on a sheet of orange construction paper. (See the pictures from WXYZ-TV here.)

His mom Kerry says the family has gone door-to-door asking businesses throughout the area for donations. Sometimes donations were as small as $5, other times they were given checks for hundreds of dollars.

This Saturday, the Vetter family will hold its third and final golfing event in hopes of raising enough money to buy their last CPR machine.