Association to give 1,000 weather radios
By Staff
Jonathan Willis
The Franklin County Fire Association will soon begin distributing more than 1,000 weather radios to senior citizens throughout the county.
Each fire department in the county will receive radios to give to seniors living alone or in mobile homes in their area.
The association collected $26,700 through grants and donations, including $9,760 from the northwest Alabama RC&D.
"This is a good way to give back to the community because so many people will benefit from it," said area RC&D Coordinator Charlie Meek.
The association was required to match the grant total but went on to double that amount after holding fundraisers and receiving donations from local municipalities.
"People want to give to something that is worthy and successful and this is," said RC&D board member Howard Grissom, of Frog Pond.
Grissom said fire association president Michael Moomaw and county EMA director Roy Gober were instrumental in making the drive so successful.
"They made it all possible," he said.
Moomaw said the radios would be distributed soon.
"Our objective is to reach our senior adults who live in mobile homes or who are on fixed incomes or homebound," Moomaw said.
"If there are any left we will re-evaluate and look at getting them to more people."
The project has been so successful the association plans to hold a weather radio drive again next year.
"It is our goal to keep doing this until everyone in the county has a NOAA weather radio," Moomaw said.