Cecile Ebert lost her $1.7 million Lake Norman mansion to a fire after her fiance tried to jump-start a Porsche in her garage. Sparks from the car engulfed the home in flames.
No one in the home was injured, but a firefighter suffered a minor injury.
Ebert, trustee of the H.B. Ebert Charitable Foundation, said the experience taught her the value of local fire department services, after firefighters from eight departments attempted to save her home.
She recently presented a $50,000 grant to the Lake Norman Volunteer Fire Department to show her support for the work they do in the area.
The money will go to the department's fundraising campaign, called "Answer the Call with Lake Norman's Bravest," for modern fire-protection and lifesaving equipment.
"It became evident to me personally last year the true needs of our volunteer fire department," said Ebert, who rebuilt on the same site in the Harbour subdivision off Brawley School Road.
"No resident of Brawley School Road is exempt from the possibility of losing their home to a fire," she said. "It is our responsibility to support our fire department and assist them in better serving our peninsula."
Campaign money also will help construction of the department's new fire station at Brawley School Road and South Fork roads. Work is set to begin in about two weeks.
The department will inscribe donors' names on decorative bricks around the new station.
Battalion Chief Kevin Clark said the project will cost an estimated $2 million.
The facility will have an EMS team to increase response time, Clark said. "It will be the first time in the county that EMS and the fire department will co-exist within the same facility," he said.
The new station will have four bedrooms, and a community room available for gatherings.
The department has 35 volunteer firefighters and two paid firefighters. Clark said the new building can accommodate more firefighters as the area grows.
Ebert said the department's efforts to increase response time will prove invaluable.
"I witnessed firsthand the tireless effort and self-sacrifice of the men and women of the Lake Norman Volunteer Fire Department and the need for modern equipment, along with the new facility," Ebert said.
"We have funded the Lake Norman Volunteer Fire Department and the Mooresville fire departments over the years and appreciate their hard work in the community," she said. "It is our responsibility to support our fire department and assist them in better serving our peninsula."
The Lake Norman Fire Department plans to host various fundraisers, including a golf tournament at noon Aug. 30 at The Point Lake & Golf Club.
A Lancaster's BBQ dinner will be 6-9 that night. North 21 will provide live music.
Tournament sponsors are Randy Marion, Lancaster BBQ, Jeffrey's Restaurant, Century 21-Hect Realty, Donna Herring's Lake Norman Tuffy, Lakeside & Talbert Point Business Parks, The Point Lake & Golf Club-Crescent Communities, The Point Home Owners Association, Shell All-Mart, Absolutely Signs, PostNet and Carolina Blonde.
