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West Virginia's Tyler County Sheriff's Office Receives Funds From National Autism Association for Project Lifesaver Equipment

TYLER COUNTY, W.V., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Autism Association (NAA) announced today thatTyler County, West Virginia, is the newest grant recipient of Project Lifesaver funding through NAA's FOUND Program. FOUND was developed by NAA to counter the rise in wandering-related deaths among children with autism.

Project Lifesaver is a nationwide tracking program established to quickly locate and rescue missing persons with cognitive impairments and developmental disabilities. Counties were chosen by NAA based on need. "We learned that, due to a lack of funding, a few children residing inTyler County were enrolled in an adjoining county's Project Lifesaver program," commented Lori McIlwain of NAA. "It's important that each county have its own tracking equipment since a quicker response time means everything to a missing child. We're pleased thatTyler County can now have its own equipment."

Due to its 100% recovery rate, NAA hopes their FOUND Program will fund every county in the country. "More parents are calling us looking for ways to donate or hold their own fundraisers," said NAA Executive Director Rita Shreffler. "We hope to have at least ten more counties funded over the next six months."

Fundraising tools were established by NAA for communities that wish to raise funds in their own counties for Project Lifesaver. "It can be something as simple as a spaghetti dinner, raffle, chili cook-off - there are a lot of small events that could potentially raise $5600 for the basic equipment needed to start the program in their county," stated NAA President Wendy Fournier. To download fundraising tools, visit www.nationalautismassociation.org/found.php.

The FOUND Program relies heavily on donations. Donors have a choice to adopt an entire county or a partial county for any given amount by visiting www.nationalautism.org.

To learn more about Project Lifesaver, visit www.projectlifesaver.org. Parents and caregivers can also find safety tips on NAA's site at www.nationalautismassociation.org/safetytoolkit

    Contacts:
    Wendy Fournier (Portsmouth, RI) 401-835-5828
    Lori McIlwain (Cary, NC) 919-741-1646

SOURCE National Autism Association