Lavonia PD Donate Over $5,000 to March of Dimes
Mayor Owens hands Kimberly Etheridge a check for $5,810.
The Lavonia Police Department is at the forefront of raising money for this year’s Franklin County March of Dimes campaign.
At a special breakfast presentation Tuesday morning, Police Chief Bruce Carlisle, along with Lavonia Mayor Ralph Owens presented March of Dimes Community Director Kimberly Eldridge with a check for over $5,000.
Eldridge said the money will be used to help fund mobile units, called Angel Two vehicles, in Franklin County.
“These two vehicles are paid for by the March of Dimes and are housed out of Atlanta but we use them in Franklin County to transport premature babies to level two and level three hospitals,” she said. “The rest of the money will go to research to learn how to prevent premature births.” 
Carlisle said all of the money raised by the Department came from the sale of March of Dimes t-shirts, which he said sold out faster than they were expecting.
“We set a goal of $5,000, but we not reached that goal but we have exceeded it,” he said. “We raised $5,810. The campaign has really not even gotten started yet and we reached our goal. We’re very thankful for the City of Lavonia and their generosity as well as those in the surrounding area.”
Carlisle said his department will now continue to assist other groups in Franklin County with their fund raising efforts for the March of Dimes.
This year’s Franklin County March of Dimes Ambassador Family is Brittany Parker and her twin girls Emma and Ella.
Parker said her twins were born at 25 weeks and have required extensive medical care – care they would not have gotten without the help of the March of Dimes.
“They don’t know why the were so early,” Parker said. “Through the research they’ve done, the March of Dimes allowed me to get them the steroid injections for their lungs. We’ve been through so much; four surgeries for Emma. Hopefully, no other family will have to go through what we’ve gone through, but I’m so thankful for the March of Dimes.”
This year’s official March of Dimes kick off reception is Monday, May 12 at the Lavonia Train Depot from 6:30p to 7:30p.
Franklin County’s goal this year is $30,000. The actual joint Franklin/Stephens County March for Babies Walk takes place at Tugaloo State Park on October 18.