In about an hour, you can help save a life right here in your own community. And this season, your donation does even more:

• $30 in rewards for every donor
•  
• $10 donated by The Blood Connection to OPVRS for each blood donation

This vital program supports the VB EMS Whole Blood Initiative, which provides life-saving transfusions directly at the scene of trauma emergencies

This initiative has already saved lives across Virginia Beach, and The Blood Connection is the sole provider of the whole blood used by EMS teams. Every pint donated helps ensure a strong and stable supply for this vital program.

Pre-registration is quick and easy—and it helps keep wait times low for everyone. To schedule your donation, visit opvrs.com/donateblood or scan the QR code on the event flyer.

Make a lasting impact this holiday season. One hour. One donation. One life saved.

For more information and to reserve your spot, go to:
 opvrs.com/donateblood

This Giving Tuesday, we invite our community to come together in the spirit that has defined the Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad for more than 80 years: neighbors helping neighbors. Since 1942, our volunteers have stepped forward—day and night, 365 days a year—to answer the call for emergency medical help at no cost to those we serve.

As we look ahead to the coming year, we ask our community to support OPVRS through one (or all!) of our three pillars: Donate, Participate, Advocate.

And just a few days later—on December 6th—you’ll have the chance to literally give life by donating blood at our community blood drive with The Blood Connection.

1. DONATE — Strengthen Your Rescue Squad for the Future

Your financial support ensures we can continue delivering high-quality emergency care to the Ocean Park and North End communities. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, every donation is tax-deductible.

Ways to Give Financially:

• Direct Financial Gifts – Every dollar helps us train volunteers, maintain equipment, and keep our station running.
• Sustained or Planned Giving – Talk to your financial advisor about including OPVRS in your estate plans. A planned gift creates long-term stability for our organization and leaves a legacy of help for future generations.
• Gifts in Kind & Legacy Gifts – Want to make a transformative impact? Consider supporting the purchase of a new ambulance—now costing upwards of $400,000—or contributing toward station improvements that benefit our volunteers for decades to come.

Your generosity today ensures we can continue answering 9-1-1 calls tomorrow.

2. PARTICIPATE — Volunteer With Us

If you’ve ever thought about answering the call, Giving Tuesday is the perfect day to take the first step. OPVRS provides free training, and in exchange we ask for one year of volunteer service.

There’s a place here for everyone:

• Interested in medicine? Gain real patient care experience, build clinical skills, and prepare for a medical or public safety career.
• Retired and looking for purpose? Use your time and talents to support your neighbors. Many of our most dedicated volunteers joined after retirement.
• Active-duty military or veterans? Your leadership, discipline, and experience are invaluable to our organization—and volunteer service is highly regarded by military commands.

Volunteering with OPVRS gives you a meaningful way to serve, grow, and make a difference every single day.

3. ADVOCATE — Share Our Story

For more than eight decades, volunteering has been in our blood. The Ocean Park community has always rallied around its rescue squad—and you can help keep that tradition alive.

How You Can Advocate:

• Spread the word about our mission and our volunteers.
• Tell a friend who’s looking for a meaningful way to give back.
• Connect your business or organization with us if you're interested in supporting volunteer appreciation, outreach, or community education programs.

Your voice helps amplify our mission and ensures OPVRS continues to thrive for generations to come.

Give Back Twice This Week: Blood Drive on December 6th

Just four days after Giving Tuesday, join us for our community blood drive on December 6, 2025, from 11 AM–2:30 PM. Donating blood takes about an hour, but it can save a life right here in our own community.

Thank You for Supporting Your Volunteer Rescue Squad

Whether you donate, participate, or advocate, your support ensures that the Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad can continue answering the call—just as we have since 1942.

Together, we keep our community safe, strong, and connected.

Each November and May, Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad proudly participates in the VBRescue Combined Fund Drive, joining volunteer rescue squads across Virginia Beach to reach out to the Shore Drive and North Great Neck communities. These semi-annual mailings are our largest fundraisers of the year, and your generosity during these drives directly fuels our ability to serve.

Every household receives a donation letter along with a pre-addressed, pre-stamped return envelope—thanks to our USPS Business Reply Mail program—making it easier than ever to support your neighborhood rescue squad. Just fill out your check, slip it into the envelope, and drop it in the mail. Your contribution truly makes a difference.

Honor or Remember a Loved One

Did you know your gift can be made in honor or in memory of someone special? Many donors choose to celebrate loved ones, recognize milestones, or remember those who are no longer with us. At your request, OPVRS will gladly send an acknowledgment letter to the honoree or to the family of someone memorialized.

Acknowledgments for Every Donor

OPVRS strives to send an acknowledgment to every single donor. Because our fund drives bring in a very high volume of letters, it may take several weeks to receive your thank-you letter in the mail. We appreciate your patience during these busy periods.

If you'd like a faster acknowledgment or immediate access to your tax documentation, you can always donate securely online at OPVRS.com/donate. Online donors receive automatic receipts, making it easy to keep records for tax season.

Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad is a proud member of VB Rescue, the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad system. VB Rescue is made up of 10 volunteer rescue squads working together to provide high-quality, no-cost emergency medical services across the city. As part of this system, OPVRS serves the Shore Drive and North Great Neck communities while supporting citywide EMS response. Together, the volunteers of VB Rescue form one of the strongest and longest-running volunteer EMS systems in the nation.

OCEAN PARK VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE UNIT INC

PO Box 5545
Virginia Beach, VA 23471

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