Rotary of Fort Myers South bolsters Homeland Security’s “Stop the Bleed” initiative locally
In October of 2015, the White House brought together the reach and power of the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services and FEMA, and charged these agencies with a lifesaving mission. The Stop the Bleed campaign brings the bleeding control strategies and resources at the disposal of first responders and the military to street level. Now Rotary of Fort Myers South is mobilizing the Southwest Florida community to empower its law enforcement officers to save their own lives and those of our neighbors before EMS arrives on the scene.
The mission: reserve your tickets at www.lawandorderball.org to attend an elegant evening in support of local law enforcement agencies starting at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 at Germain Arena. All proceeds are directed to the Rotary Club of Fort Myers South Foundation, which benefits law enforcement youth programs and many other community projects. For this third annual event, Fund-A-Need dollars will specifically support the purchase of individual tactical trauma kits to outfit individual law enforcement and their patrol cars.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Myers Police Department, Cape Coral Police Department, Sanibel Police Department, Florida Gulf Coast University Police Department, Florida SouthWestern State College Police Department and Lee County Port Authority Police will all be beneficiaries of Rotary’s of Fort Myers South’s fundraising through the Law and Order Ball. In this way, these agencies will be empowered to achieve the aspirations set forth by the Stop the Bleed Coalition, representing a year-long collaboration between the National Security Council at the White House with partners like the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, American College of Surgeons, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians and the Harvard Kennedy School.
According to the “Stop the Bleeding Coalition,” 35 percent of pre-hospital deaths are the result of hemorrhaging. Our law enforcement officers often serve as first responders on the scene of potentially fatal car accidents and events such as the recent Club Blu shooting, and are too often the targets of violence themselves. Equipping them with tactical trauma kits that contain gauze, tourniquets, clotting agent and other tools is one important way to help our local heroes stay alive to serve our community and save precious lives when every minute matters.
The purpose of the Law & Order Ball is to thank the everyday heroes of the Lee County law enforcement agencies who keep us safe, enabling us to build our businesses and thrive as a community. What better way to thank our law enforcement officers than to provide them with the tools to say lives – victim’s lives or their own lives. That’s why there will be a “call to action” or Fund-A- Need for tactical trauma kits the night of the event. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the evening’s Fund-A-Need will go to Lee County law enforcement to provide funds for these tactical trauma kits. For those individuals or businesses that are unable to attend the event, you can donate money for these lifesaving kits by going to www.lawandorderball.org.
To accommodate a growing number of guests, this is the first year the event will be held at Germain Arena. It is also the first black-tie (optional) affair in the arena’s history. Tickets for the Law and Order Ball are $150 each or $1,200 for a table of eight, and include cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, a formal dinner, entertainment, raffle items, a silent auction and a live auction. Guests will be able to mingle with law enforcement officers and get a close look at law enforcement vehicles. The Officer of the Year will received a customized ring designed by Rotarian Mark Loren of Mark Loren Design.
As with last year’s Law and Order Ball, Creighton Construction and Development will be the presenting sponsor. Additional sponsors include: LeeSar; Survival Armor; NBC-2; The News-Press Media Group; Edison National Bank; Enterprise Holdings; Armor Correctional Health; the Galloway Family of Dealerships; Tech-Tronics; CONRIC PR & Marketing; The Eventful Company; Mark Loren Designs; Rapid Print; Siesta Pebble; Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, PA; Eye Centers of Florida; Wilbur Smith Law Firm; Gulf Coast Coin and Jewelry; Gendron Funeral and Cremation Services Inc.; Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner; CFS Roofing; Home-Tech; Red Roof Inns; Aubuchon Team of Companies; Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits; Fort Myers Police Department; Lee County Sheriff’s Office; HBKS Wealth Advisors; Old Sparky; UAStar Photo Booth; Florida Gulf Coast University; Maureen Grabowski; and Suncoast Credit Union.
Corporate and individual sponsorships are still available. Another way to help support the event is the Fund-A-Cop program, an opportunity to help a member of Lee County Law Enforcement attend by underwriting the cost of a ticket for him or her.
To purchase tickets, Fund-A-Cop or to become a sponsor, learn more here or email Lori Cook North at lori@eventfulinc.com.
About Rotary Club of Fort Myers South
Rotary Club of Fort Myers South has more than 150 members who are among the 1.3 million Rotarians worldwide. Service Above Self is the motto of Rotary International, which has contributed more than $1.2 billion and tens of thousands of volunteer hours toward polio eradication in addition to projects such as water quality, world peace and literacy. Meetings are held each Monday at noon at the Crowne Plaza, 13051 Bell Tower Drive. For more information, visit www.rotarysouth.org.