IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – The all-volunteer Dickinson County Dive Rescue team invites the community to join the 5th annual ATM Ride on July 20th, an ATV event, called the ATM Run, in memory of Alex Troy McDermott (initials ATM). The ATM run is in memory of a local who drowned 5 years ago. The fundraiser aims to support the dive team’s efforts in preventing future tragedies like the one that happened in Hardwood.
A Community United by Tragedy
Tammy Mattson, Alex’s mother, shared her motivation for starting the event: “Well, my son drowned. It’ll be five years ago on June 29. When he drowned, we didn’t have any type of dive team in the Dickinson County area. My son was in the water for nine days. The Michigan State Police helped as long as they could, but they got called off to another drowning.”
The tragic loss of her son united Mattson and the community in the search effort. “We had our whole town come together,” she recalled. “They brought boats, kayaks, food, and water for the search parties. I don’t want another family to go through what we did.”
Event Details
The ATV ride starts next Saturday, July 20th at 10 AM Central Time at Hardwood Hall in Hardwood, Michigan, about a 45-minute drive from Iron Mountain. There’s no entry fee; funds are raised through sales of shirts, hats, mugs, tumblers, and other merchandise. “Basically, we make our money from the sales of the shirts, hats, mugs, tumblers, and can koozies,” said Mattson.
Last year’s event saw hundreds of participants. “I believe last year there were around 30+ ATVs with 2 – 4 people per bike,” Mattson noted.
Support and Participation
Chris Kuenzer, Dickinson County Undersheriff, emphasized the importance of the local dive team: “We can get divers on site a lot faster. Instead of having to do a recovery, we potentially could be doing a rescue at that point. It’s a lot better benefit for our citizens.”
Tony Guiliani, a local rescue diver, highlighted the necessity of the fundraiser: “So doing the fundraisers: we are very grateful for ATM. They’ve been doing it for 5 years now. Borderhounds with their fundraisers and of course 100+ women of Dickinson County and if it wasn’t for all these fundraisers it’s not just getting divers and participants to dive. It’s a matter of the funding it takes to outfit the divers – usually around $8,000 – $10,000 per diver. So the more people we get is just more funds that we’ve got to try to come up with.”
How to Help
Participants don’t need to pre-register; they can simply show up at Hardwood Hall on the day of the event. For those unable to attend, donations are accepted at First Bank in Iron Mountain under the account ‘In Memory of Alex.’ The sheriff’s office also welcomes direct contributions for outfitting the Dive Rescue Team.
Tammy Mattson’s hope is clear: “The more, the merrier, we all have a great time. Great people for an awesome cause,” she said. “I never thought about it until it happened to my son, and then when I was at work – within a week, another friend of mine, her son was in an accident in the water and also died in the water. I don’t want another family to go nine days,” she shared.
By supporting this event, the community helps ensure that the Dickinson County Dive Rescue team is equipped and ready to respond quickly, turning potential recoveries into rescues and providing critical support to families in their darkest hours of uncertainty.
Join the ATM Ride on July 20th to support a cause born from tragedy and driven by community spirit.
For those who cannot attend the annual ATV ride that benefits the Dickinson County Dive rescue team, there are other ways to get involved.
“We can always use more divers so if there’s anybody out there that is dive certified and would like to be involved get a hold of Lieutenant Conery who is the sheriff’s office’s overall rep for the dive team,” informed Undersheriff Kuenzer. “Or they can contact Tony [Guiliani] as well; he’s our primary diver for the dive team for the county itself. They can make sure they go to the fundraisers that we have. If they want to donate outside of a fundraiser, they can contact the sheriff’s office.” Kuenzer stated.
To contact the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department, visit:
https://www.dickinsoncountymi.gov/government/county_departments/sheriffs_department.php
*Photo is of a past Memorial ATM Ride, in memory of Alex Troy McDermott. Dickinson County Sheriff’s Dive Rescue Team is presented a check from Alex’s mother. Photo Courtesy: Dickinson County Sheriff’s Dive Rescue Team.
