Thursday, October 1, 2009

CEO and Founder of Project Lifesaver International, Gene Saunders, Selected to Receive Two Awards From Local Community

September 21, 2009 - Chesapeake, Va – Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Project Lifesaver International, Gene Saunders, was recently recognized by his community for his non-profit work that helps rescue citizens who are prone to wander due to Alzheimer’s disease, autism, and other cognitive disorders.

Chief Saunders has been selected to receive The Masonic Building Communities Award from the Chesapeake Berkley Lodge – Grand Lodge of Virginia. This program shows appreciation for outstanding community-oriented achievements of non-Masons who reside and work in cities and towns. The award recognizes outstanding men and women who are instrumental in building our communities into a better place for all people to live and work.

Chief Saunders has also been selected to receive The Bank of America’s Local Hero Community Initiative Award. This award acknowledges someone who champions a cause vital to his community, who inspire others to get involved, and who has made a significant impact on individuals, families, and/or communities. He will be recognized at a ceremony in October.

These awards came just days after Project Lifesaver accepted a federal grant to help continue their lifesaving work. The federal funding will assist in education, awareness, equipment, and public policy efforts to help expand across the country – directly helping individuals, living with Alzheimer’s disease, who wander.

Nationwide, over 1,000 law enforcement agencies are members of Project Lifesaver, which boasts an average find-time of 30 minutes, nearly 2,000 successful searches to date, and a 100% success rate. Since the national average for standard search and recovery missions is nine hours, this high program efficacy dramatically cuts taxpayer dollars spent on search and rescue, frees up officers for other assignments, and saves lives.