“He always had a different cause. He’d leave the jar out for two or three months, and whatever he collected he would give to that particular cause, and often it was for something in the town of Paris,” remembers Dennis Vignieri, president of nearby Birchwood Foods.

Sometimes, Vignieri said, Savas would look to raise more money than could be collected through spare change — like for the fire safety equipment — and he would get others like Vignieri involved.

He helped raise $18,000 to purchase Jaws of Life for the department, and $10,000 for rescue equipment like thermal-imaging cameras.

“He was always the spark plug for all of that, he was always the one that got that stuff started,” Vignieri said. “He was always promoting a cause, but it was always a good cause.”

Iwen said Savas would invite firefighters to come in for a free breakfast after they were out on calls. “He always asked what we needed,” Iwen said, and if he could help he would contribute.

He chaired a committee that mapped Paris and posted house numbers so emergency crews could easily locate homes, and served on the committee that created a memorial. He donated money to purchase playground equipment for Paris School, and to purchase a heart defibrillator for Central High School.