The DeKalb County Homemakers Education Association will host a PowerPoint presentation by Mary Rose Fillip of Rockford on the Women’s Ambulance Safety Patrol that was organized at Fort Grant during World War II.
The program will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14, at the DeKalb County Farm Bureau Building, 1350 W. Prairie Drive in Sycamore. The public is welcome and there is no cost to attend this program. Following the current state guidelines, masks will be required indoors. Due to limited seating, register in advance by calling the University of Illinois Extension Office at 815-758-8194.
The Women’s Ambulance Safety Patrol in Rockford was the first to organize in the U.S. and form a women’s ambulance training program. The brainchild of Dr. Albert S. Roseborough, chair of the Rockford Red Cross, eight Rockford women gathered on April 3, 1940, to form this first unit. Their motto and mission was “Safety in time of Peace, Security in time of Disaster.”
The W.A.S.P. became a volunteer homeland force of more than 300 women in 17 communities in 15 states including a unit in the DeKalb/Sycamore area.
Fillip has invested a lot of time and passion into researching and promoting this group of women.
Those who need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, should contact event coordinator Connie Handel at cahandel@illinois.edu or 815-758-8194. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your needs.
Source: The Daily Chronicle
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