ArkLaTex 100 Club Awards $27,000+ in Grants to Local Police and Fire Agencies

Photo credit: Representatives from area police and fire departments gathered on Oct. 6, 20201, for ArkLaTex 100 Club 2021 grant presentations. In addition to providing financial support for the families of fallen police and firefighters who die in the line of duty, the ArkLaTex 100 Club funds grants for local agencies to purchase lifesaving equipment that they are unable to fit into their budgets.
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The Arklatex 100 Club awarded more than $27,000 in grants for life-saving equipment and expenses to eight police and fire agencies in Bowie and Miller Counties at their October meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021.

The mission of the ArkLaTex 100 Club is to raise funds for the dependents of local first responders who are lost in the line of duty. Remaining funds are available as grants to local fire and police agencies to purchase unbudgeted but necessary life-saving equipment and training. The club’s $100 membership fee directly helps our local police departments, fire departments and first responders, and new members are encouraged to join at thearklatex100club.org.

“Our primary mission—and what your membership enables us to do—is to furnish immediate financial assistance to the surviving family in the event that any local police, fire or first responder is killed in the line of duty,” said Kelley Crisp, ArkLaTex 100 Club board president. “With additional funding, we provide grants for non-budgeted lifesaving equipment to local police and fire jurisdictions, with the goal of keeping our men and women in uniform safe as they serve our communities.”

At the meeting, the ArkLaTex 100 awarded the following grants:

$3,000 to the Genoa Volunteer Fire Department for new hoses
$1,500 to the Texarkana Arkansas Fire Department for a new specialized fan for cooling firefighters in gear on-site
$3,500 to the New Boston Police Department for radios
$2,500 to the Maud Volunteer Fire Department for fire gear
$612 to the Wake Village Police Department for less lethal gear
$1,965 to the De Kalb Volunteer Fire Department for gloves
$3,000 to the Liberty-Eylau Volunteer Fire Department for wildland gear
$5,500 to the Simms Volunteer Fire Department for new gear for 10 firefighters
$2,998 to the Mandeville Volunteer Fire Department for diving masks
$2,724 to the C-5 Volunteer Fire Department for portable radios

The Arklatex 100 Club is currently promoting its membership drive, which directly impacts local police and fire agencies—to learn more about joining or donating, visit thearklatex100club.org. Funds raised will be available throughout the year to aid the families of first responders killed in the line of duty. Remaining funds will be available to local agencies during the next grant cycle. The club will accept grant applications in June and July of 2021.

Todd Aultman, detective sergeant for the Wake Village Police Department, said the ArkLaTex 100 Club’s grant for specialized equipment makes a huge impact on the department and the community.

“This equipment will allow us to transition traditional shotguns into less lethal weapons that shoot specialized munitions,” he said. “This gives us another layer of force so we don’t have to use deadly force. In some circumstances, we will be able to use these to incapacitate somebody without injuring them. We feel blessed to have the ArkLaTex 100 Club, and we really appreciate everything they do.”

Since the club was founded in 2016, the group has awarded nearly $350,000 in grant funds to area agencies.

The club’s other fundraiser, the Pull for Heroes Sporting Clay tournament, will take place next spring. Proceeds from the membership drive and the Pull for Heroes tournament will be used to provide support for the families of police and firefighters who die in the line of duty. Any funds left over are used to award grants to local police and fire agencies.

To join the ArkLaTex 100 Club or learn more about its mission, please visit thearklatex100club.org.

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