Lucas Watts and Family Receive Check from Serve and Connect

Oconee County Sheriff’s Deputy Corporal Lucas Watts and his family have received funds collected in an account created last year by the non-profit organization Serve and Connect.

A check was presented to Corporal Watts and his family by Dr. Kassy Alia Ray, Ph.D., the founder of Serve and Connect, and by Kim Dennis, Director of Operations and Strategic Partnerships at Serve and Connect.

Sally Foster, Executive Director of the South Carolina Sheriff’s Association, also attended the presentation.

Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw thanked everyone who made donations to Serve and Connect for Lucas and his family.

Crenshaw added there have been other fundraising events and citizens who have made donations to Lucas and his family since Lucas was injured in the officer-involved shooting last November 16th and the department and his family are very thankful to everyone for the outpouring of support and prayers for Lucas and his family.

For privacy reasons, Sheriff Crenshaw says that the amount presented to Lucas and his family will not be released at the request of the family.

In a news release that was issued by the Sheriff’s Office on November 17th of last year, Sheriff Crenshaw said that an account had been set up for Corporal Watts and his family through Serve and Connect.

According to information available on their website, Serve and Connect was founded by Dr. Alia-Ray, after her husband, Officer Gregory Thomas Alia, was shot and killed in the line of duty as an officer with the Forest Acres Police Department in 2015.

According to their website, Serve and Connect is “a nonprofit organization focused on fostering positive change through sustainable police community partnerships.