When Vernon “Spud” Weaver twice suffered serious medical emergencies, volunteers from the Cartersville Volunteer Rescue Squad came promptly to his aid.

And, for the second time, he’s come to their aid, enabling the squad to raise money to continue to serve the community.

For the second year, Weaver, who survived a diabetic coma and a heart attack, has donated a pig and loads of homemade potato salad, coleslaw and baked beans for the rescue squad’s barbeque benefit.

Weaver and his wife, Mary Jane, donated the food last year after the squad rushed him to the hospital during his diabetic emergency in 2013.  This year’s gift stemmed from his care while he was having a heart attack.

“[It’s] payback to help them. I’m repaying them for hauling me in,” said the 62-year-old Cartersville resident.

“It’s the second year I’ve had to do it. That’s the problem,” he laughed, referring to his his two medical emergencies. “It’s something I could do for them,” he said. “They [were] there when I needed them,” he said.

Rather than donate money, he and his wife thought it more beneficial to the squad to donate food so the squad could make money for operations.

Standing behind a large pig cooker, he said that his wife had been getting food ready for the past three days.

“She’s the one that makes all the good food,” he said of his wife. “I cooked the pig.”

When asked the financial cost he incurred when donating the food, he responded, “I don’t even care.”

Weaver credits the volunteers for saving his life.

“It’s awesome,” said Priscilla Martin, vice president of the rescue squad. “You know, he’s part of our community here, and he’s willing to give to help and realizes the rescue squad is very necessary in the community here when there’s a time of need, we’re it.”

Martin said she was thankful the rescue squad could help him. She said people like Weaver enable the squad to function and serve the community.

Weaver says he believes it’s important for residents of a community to support and assist each other in their times of need.

“That’s what life’s all about,” he said.