Fleet Reserve Association donates to Project Lifesaver Program

On Thursday, Aug. 23, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office accepted a donation from the Fleet Reserve Association Branch 15 for the Project Lifesaver program. The check for the donation was presented to Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw by Jim Behrens, Project Coordinator and Clyde Albertson, Branch President of Association, who serves sea service veterans in Pickens and Oconee counties. The Association is made up of those veterans who served in the United States Navy, the United State Marine Corps and the United Stated Coast Guard. In 2009, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office began to coordinate the Project Lifesaver program in the county after the Walhalla Pilot Club applied for a grant under the Alzheimer’s Association and received the grant to purchase a receiver and two transmitters. Project Lifesaver is a tracking program for children with Autism or Down Syndrome who have a tendency to wander away and for adults who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or some form of dementia. The citizens who qualify wear a transmitter either on their wrist or ankle. To be considered for eligibility, citizens must provide proof of residency in Oconee County as well as a medical statement from a doctor providing care to your family member concerning their diagnosis. In order for children to be eligible, they must attend school in Oconee County. For more information on the Project Lifesaver program and to see if you have a family member that meets the above criteria to qualify, contact Deputies and Victim Advocate’s Rhonda Morgan at 864-718-1049 and Vickie Bottoms at 864-638-4247. Pictured from left to right are Clyde Albertson, Branch President of the Fleet Reserve Association Branch 15, Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw and Jim Behrens, Project Coordinator for Fleet Reserve Association Branch 15.