OAKLAND — Kristian Joliat was expecting to spend his Sunday afternoon at a fundraiser, but what he got was a surprise that was so much better.
For months, the 29-year-old had been working with Skowhegan Police Chief David Bucknam on getting an official vehicle for Canteen 19, a program to offer assistance to first responders at emergency scenes. Sunday was supposed to be just another day of raising funds.
Kristian Joliat, 29, walks with his mother Sarah before Canteen 19, their new 2016 Ford Expedition, arrived Sunday in a surprise to honor Kristian at Messalonskee High School in Oakland. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
Instead, Joliat and his mother Sarah were presented with the fully operational truck — a white 2016 Ford Expedition — that Bucknam spent weeks preparing for Canteen 19.
In addition to providing hot drinks and food to first responders, Canteen 19 will use the truck to carry jackets, hats and other winter clothes to victims at the scene if the weather is cold. The program will support responders across Somerset, Kennebec and Waldo counties.
“I’m doing this job because it’s important to take care of the first responders when they need help. It makes me happy to help others,” Joliat said.
When Joliat lived in Virginia, he worked on a similar canteen project for a local fire department, along with other volunteers. He has Helsmoortel-Van der Aa syndrome, a neurodevelopmental genetic disorder, and the canteen group gave him a sense of belonging and community, said Sarah Joliat, Kristian’s mother.
After they moved to Maine, they found there was no program like the one in Virginia, so Kristian and Sarah started it themselves. Sarah would drive Kristian to the emergency scenes using her personal car and Kristian was able to continue supplying first responders with food and hot drinks. The Joliats paid for the expenses out of their own pocket.
Bucknam and Joliat have gone across the state to raise money, with Joliat stopping by local fire departments, and Bucknam reaching out to contacts at the Masonic Lodges.
Kristian Joliat, 29, left, is embraced by Skowhegan Police Chief David Bucknam as the unpictured Canteen 19, a 2016 Ford Expedition, arrived in a surprise to honor Kristian at Messalonskee High School in Oakland. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
Getting the truck was a community effort, Bucknam said. Everything from the truck itself to the lettering on it and the lights and radios were donated, or offered at a substantial discount, by local businesses.
On Sunday, fire departments and Masonic Lodges from across central Maine came to Messalonskee High School for the surprise presentation of the Canteen 19 truck to Joliat. Several groups in attendance began announcing donations until the purchased truck drove in with lights and sirens on. Once the vehicle was parked, Joliat admired the logos on it, still incredulous over the suddenly tangible result of his efforts.
It was an emotional scene. Winslow Fire Chief Ronnie Rodriguez, Kristian’s father, said that he almost cried as the truck pulled in, and Sarah Joliat said it felt surreal.
The program will continue to rely on donations, Bucknam said, and anyone interested in donating can email him at dbucknam@skowhegan.org or call the Skowhegan Police Department.
Sarah Joliat said they hope to get other people involved in the project through the Alfond Youth and Community Center Unified Champion Program, of which Kristian is a beneficiary.
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