Nelson Cruz is from San Francisco de Macoris in the Dominican Republic, and his home town didn't have much in the way of a fire truck or ambulances. Until now. Cruz leveraged his athletic success to buy one for the town.
His generosity didn't go unnoticed. American Medical Response, the company that provides ambulance service in Arlington, Texas, decided to match Cruz's donation by chipping in a couple of ambulances. Arlington's Fire Department helped find a truck that would fit the bill, and is donating hoses and tools to go along with it.
The truck was yellow, so Cruz had it painted red. San Francisco de Macoris wasn't well equipped to serve its 245,000 residents — plus the populations of three adjoining towns — so the new equipment will undoubtedly be a welcome addition to their fire (and medical emergency) fighting arsenal.
Photo credit: Associated Press; Arlington Fire Department