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Pathfinder
of the Month
"Do not go
where the path may lead,go instead where there is no path and leave a
trail."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Everyday
Angels
On
a rainy Tuesday, September 7, a family's life was forever changed. It
was one of the rainy days resulting from Hurricane Francis when a single
mom and her three sons, students at ET Booth and Etowah High School, were
traveling north on I-75. Their vehicle hydroplaned and was broad sided.
Consequently, the mother and her eighth and ninth grade sons were transported
to Cartersville Hospital. Her seventh grade son was air lifted to Scottish
Rite. Today, as we write this article and 10 days after the accident,
the mother has been moved from Cartersville Hospital to begin rehab, while
her oldest son remains in the intensive care unit. Anthony, her eighth
grade son was released with a broken leg, and her seventh grade son was
laid to rest over the weekend.
This family experienced
our greatest fears. Imagining what they have gone through and how they
can possibly recover leaves us breathless. They must now regain control
of their emotions and physical health before they can begin to rebuild
their lives and move forward. This will undoubtedly take time, support,
and very strong faith. Currently the classmates and faculty from ET Booth
have begun their fundraising efforts for this family and Everyday Angels
would love to help. In addition to donating our monthly maximum, we would
like to appeal to our readers to help as well. You may send your tax-deductible
donations directly to Everyday Angels where 100% will be forwarded to
the family. If a donation is not possible at this time, we ask that you
lift them up in your thoughts and prayers or simply send a note of encouragement.
If you would like more detailed information, please leave a message on
our voice mail, as we should have more detailed information once this
article is in circulation.
Thank you in advance
for your prayers, compassion and generosity!
Everyday Angels is a non-profit organization
that provides short-term funding (currently up to a maximum of $425 per
month) to those in our community in need. If you know someone in need
or would like to contribute, please call (770) 517-8210 ext. 580.
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Chad
Arp
Firefighters,
along with other public safety workers, are America's heroes. They rescue
the endangered, deliver medical attention, and work to prevent tragedies.
One of the major ways the fire department prevents tragedies is through
education, especially to the youth. October is Fire Prevention Month,
and it's fitting that The TowneLaker's Pathfinder of the Month
is Chad Arp of the Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services.
Tim
Cavender, Public Information Officer of the Cherokee Fire and Emergency
Services, nominated Chad. "Chad has a tremendous devotion to educating
and preventing injuries to the children of Cherokee County. He has been
instrumental in educating people, on and off the job, on numerous safety
issues," said Tim.
Firefighting
has been a part of Chad's life for as long as he can remember. He was
a volunteer junior firefighter by age 18 and joined the force at age 21.
Chad is a community educator in addition to his role as a firefighter.
He spends a great amount of time visiting area schools educating students
on fire safety. He and his partner, Ann Segers, bring Freddie the Firetruck
to preschools and the Fire Safety House to elementary schools and events.
Chad
is the Coalition Leader for the Safe Kids of Georgia in Cherokee County.
Safe Kids is the only non-profit organization dedicated solely to the
prevention of unintentional childhood injury. Through Chad's leadership,
membership in the organization has increased and more and more parents
and children have received safety education. Safe Kids is responsible
for several safety programs including car seat checks, water safety instruction
and bike (wheel) and pedestrian safety. Chad spends a lot of time outside
of his job educating the public during these Safe Kids' events. Chad is
especially proud of the child passenger safety program. "It's one of the
best things we do. We always have a tremendous response to our car safety
checks, and to know we are helping to prevent injuries is the best reward,"
he said. Chad can also be seen at other Safe Kids events including local
bike rodeos, safety fairs, Summer Safety Splash at Lake Allatoona, and
Moonlight Madness, which will be on October 26 at the Towne Lake Kroger
and on October 28 at the Canton Kroger on Marietta Highway.
Chad
also volunteers for the fire department Honor Guard, which honors the
loss of any public safety worker, either by retirement or death. This
role allowed him to participate in the National 2002 event for fallen
firefighters from 9-11, which will always remain in Chad's heart. During
the past four summers, Chad has volunteered at Camp OO-U-LA, a burn camp
for children up to the age of 17.
Chad
and his wife Susan have three children, Ashley, 10, Aaron, 6 and Kyle,
10 months. His spare time is dedicated to his family and coaching Aaron's
soccer team.
Thank
you, Chad, for making our community a better and safer place to live!
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