January 14, 2011 - Lights final total tops $260,000
By MORRIS STEPHENSON - The Franklin News Post
L.D. Arrington, the local businessman who led the effort, announced this week that $262,538.43 has been raised at the end of the 22nd report week, Friday, Jan. 14.
Arrington announced the total at a meeting Wednesday with Rocky Mount Town Manager James Ervin and Franklin County Administrator Rick Huff II.
Arrington said $2,612 was deposited this week from countertop collection boxes at Flowers by Jones, Quizno's, Bojangles and Dairy Queen locations during the past several weeks. The boxes will remain in place for several more weeks, he added.
After Arrington's report, Ervin and Huff informed the drive chairman that the project is expected to go out to bid in February. The two officials estimated the project's total cost between $600,000 and $620,000. The officials told Arrington that the balance will be covered by the two governing bodies.
The town and county hired Stone Engineering to draw up specifications for the project to equip all traffic signals and emergency response vehicles with the electronic devices needed to make intersections safer. The devices will be used by emergency response vehicles as they approach intersections to change traffic signals and warn motorists that such a vehicle is approaching.
Huff said there are approximately 70 emergency vehicles at 19 different locations throughout the county. Some of the newer traffic signals in the county are already equipped with the electronic devices.
The fundraiser started Aug. 25 with an announcement of three $25,000 pledges by Danny Perdue, Joel Shepherd and Arrington. Two days later, Franklin Community Bank made a $15,000 donation, presented by Larry Heaton, bank president and CEO.
The Lights for Life memorial fundraiser was the result of the July 26 traffic deaths of two local firefighters, Chief Posey Dillon and Danny Altice, both veterans with the Rocky Mount Volunteer Fire Department.
The two died when a RMVFD fire truck, loaded with 1,000 gallons of water, was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Route 40 East and School Board Road about 4:29 p.m. The firemen were answering a call to the Glade Hill area of Smith Mountain Lake when the accident occurred. Dillon was driving the truck.
Dillon, 59, was a veteran of 33 years with the department, while Altice had more than 40 years of service as a firefighter.
A growing concern about making intersections safer led to the first meeting on Aug. 17 at the Rocky Mount Municipal Building. Representatives of the RMVFD were Chief Charlie Robertson, Assistant Chief Jeff Rakes and firefighters David Young, Justin Woodrow and Jeff McCarty attended the meeting. It was Young who came up with the idea of naming the fundraiser Lights for Life.
Initially, a goal of $425,000 was set and later increased to $450,000. As equipment needs and prices continued to be tabulated, the total project cost rose to the $600,000 figure.
When discussions were first held, the group hoped the fundraiser could raise $200,000. The $100,000 mark was passed on Sept. 9, led by an anonymous donation of $50,000. The weekly reports continued to increase at a steady rate as donations from individuals, businesses and industries poured in.
The $200,000 mark was broken on the seventh week of the drive in early October when $205,945 was reported by Arrington. Then the amount for the 20th week report on Dec. 31 showed $257,497, Arrington said.
"The donations reported this week all came from small donations. It's amazing to me how the donations of small change and dollar bills in the countertop collection boxes mounted up," Arrington said. "And it wasn't unusual for larger bills to be inserted into one of the boxes. A $100 bill was left in one."
"Everyone who contributed money, from small change to the largest donation, made this fundraiser a huge success. I cannot thank the residents enough," Arrington said. "This fundraiser is a great tribute to Posey Dillon and Danny Altice. They will never be forgotten."
By MORRIS STEPHENSON - The Franklin News Post
L.D. Arrington, the local businessman who led the effort, announced this week that $262,538.43 has been raised at the end of the 22nd report week, Friday, Jan. 14. Arrington announced the total at a meeting Wednesday with Rocky Mount Town Manager James Ervin and Franklin County Administrator Rick Huff II.
Arrington said $2,612 was deposited this week from countertop collection boxes at Flowers by Jones, Quizno's, Bojangles and Dairy Queen locations during the past several weeks. The boxes will remain in place for several more weeks, he added.
After Arrington's report, Ervin and Huff informed the drive chairman that the project is expected to go out to bid in February. The two officials estimated the project's total cost between $600,000 and $620,000. The officials told Arrington that the balance will be covered by the two governing bodies.
The town and county hired Stone Engineering to draw up specifications for the project to equip all traffic signals and emergency response vehicles with the electronic devices needed to make intersections safer. The devices will be used by emergency response vehicles as they approach intersections to change traffic signals and warn motorists that such a vehicle is approaching.
Huff said there are approximately 70 emergency vehicles at 19 different locations throughout the county. Some of the newer traffic signals in the county are already equipped with the electronic devices.
The fundraiser started Aug. 25 with an announcement of three $25,000 pledges by Danny Perdue, Joel Shepherd and Arrington. Two days later, Franklin Community Bank made a $15,000 donation, presented by Larry Heaton, bank president and CEO.
The Lights for Life memorial fundraiser was the result of the July 26 traffic deaths of two local firefighters, Chief Posey Dillon and Danny Altice, both veterans with the Rocky Mount Volunteer Fire Department.
The two died when a RMVFD fire truck, loaded with 1,000 gallons of water, was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Route 40 East and School Board Road about 4:29 p.m. The firemen were answering a call to the Glade Hill area of Smith Mountain Lake when the accident occurred. Dillon was driving the truck.
Dillon, 59, was a veteran of 33 years with the department, while Altice had more than 40 years of service as a firefighter.
A growing concern about making intersections safer led to the first meeting on Aug. 17 at the Rocky Mount Municipal Building. Representatives of the RMVFD were Chief Charlie Robertson, Assistant Chief Jeff Rakes and firefighters David Young, Justin Woodrow and Jeff McCarty attended the meeting. It was Young who came up with the idea of naming the fundraiser Lights for Life.
Initially, a goal of $425,000 was set and later increased to $450,000. As equipment needs and prices continued to be tabulated, the total project cost rose to the $600,000 figure.
When discussions were first held, the group hoped the fundraiser could raise $200,000. The $100,000 mark was passed on Sept. 9, led by an anonymous donation of $50,000. The weekly reports continued to increase at a steady rate as donations from individuals, businesses and industries poured in.
The $200,000 mark was broken on the seventh week of the drive in early October when $205,945 was reported by Arrington. Then the amount for the 20th week report on Dec. 31 showed $257,497, Arrington said.
"The donations reported this week all came from small donations. It's amazing to me how the donations of small change and dollar bills in the countertop collection boxes mounted up," Arrington said. "And it wasn't unusual for larger bills to be inserted into one of the boxes. A $100 bill was left in one."
"Everyone who contributed money, from small change to the largest donation, made this fundraiser a huge success. I cannot thank the residents enough," Arrington said. "This fundraiser is a great tribute to Posey Dillon and Danny Altice. They will never be forgotten."
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