CRANBERRY TWP — The Cranberry Township Community Chest brought in more than $500 last week as part of its fundraising effort for the 2015 Project of the Year.

The project is a $500,000 initiative to recruit and retain more volunteer firefighters in Butler County. The Community Chest has raised $360,225 since last summer.

Bruce Mazzoni, treasurer of the Community Chest, said it won’t be long until the county receives two emergency trailers bought last year.

Those trailers, which cost a combined $150,000, will be used for recruitment, training and educational purposes by every fire department in the county.

The rest of the money will go toward establishing nearly 20 scholarships at Butler County Community College. Anyone who pledges two years of service to a local fire department will be eligible for a scholarship.

Mazzoni said he and other organizers are working diligently to secure additional funding sources, and he hopes to have the campaign wrapped up in April.

“We’re still working on a few larger grants with a few foundations and businesses,” he said.

Anyone interested in donating or learning more about the project can visit the Community Chest’s website at www.ctcchest.org.

The most recent round of donations includes a $128 gift from Scott and Kathleen Decker, $125 gifts from Rick and Carol McClean and Bill Halle, $50 gifts from W.A. and D.M. Odenthal and Raymond and Nancy Speicher, and $25 gifts from Raymond and Joanne Melder and Robert and Ellen Brierly.