Cruz donates fire truck

ARLINGTON -- Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz is purchasing a fire truck for the city of Las Matas Santa Cruz in the Dominican Republic. The town of 18,756 people is in the Monte Cristi province in which Cruz grew up.

Two ambulances donated by American Medical Response are also to be given to Las Matas Santa Cruz. The Arlington Fire Department also contributed to the effort.

"It's a big deal," Cruz said. "I know kids who have died because we didn't have an ambulance. I had a friend who lost his house because we didn't have a fire truck. My town is not that big. It's definitely needed. We have firefighters, but we didn't have a fire truck."

Symbolic keys to the fire truck and ambulances were made to officials from the Dominican Republic before Wednesday's game.