Briefly in West Ashley

Crittendon auction fundraiser Thursday

A Celebration of the Art of Motherhood, the 111-year anniversary celebration and silent art auction fundraiser for Florence Crittenton Programs of South Carolina, will be held 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Villa de la Fontaine, 138 Wentworth St., Charleston.

The group's mission is to provide and promote the comprehensive medical, educational and support services which will most effectively ensure the well-being and self-sufficiency of single parents and their children.

Turkey Day Run gives $13,400 to Heroes

Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, Fire Chief Rusty Thomas and representatives of Tidelands Bank joined members of the Knights of Columbus Council No. 704 last month to make the first deposit into a newly established Heroes Fund at the bank.

The check for $13,400 was from the proceeds of the 2007 Turkey Day Run and Gobble Wobble, in which about 4,600 runners and walkers participated.

Council No. 704 dedicated last year's 5K run and walk to the nine firefighters who died in the June 18, 2007 Sofa Superstore fire and established a special Heroes Fund. The council set aside $3 of registrants' entry fee from the 2007 event to start the account. Proceeds from the fund will be used to help offset expenses for those emergency first responders and their families including police officers, fire fighters, emergency medical providers, and rescue workers, in the event of death or serious bodily injury suffered while in the course of duty.

In addition to donating a portion of the proceeds to the Heroes Fund, the Turkey Day Run & Gobble Wobble Committee has given more than $41,000 of proceeds from the 2007 event to various Lowcountry charities. Those charities include Birthright, St. Vincent de Paul, Lowcountry Food Bank, Crisis Ministries, Florence Crittenton House, Catholic Radio, Charleston Catholic School, Diocese of Charleston Office of Child Protection Services, Windwood Farms, Ronald McDonald House, Sea Island Habitat for Humanity, East Cooper Community Outreach, Neighborhood House, Lowcountry Chapter of Autism, Jenkins Orphanage, Catholic Charities, Operation Hope, Bishop England High School, Special Olympics and Healing Farms.

The 2008 Turkey Day Run & Gobble Wobble is scheduled for Nov. 27, Thanksgiving Day.

Safety, risk director gets state award

Larry Hodge, Charleston County Government's safety and risk management director, was recently presented with the 2008 South Carolina Public Risk Manager of the Year award.

The West Ashley resident was presented the award by the South Carolina Public Risk and Insurance Management Association at its annual conference in Greenville.

"There are so many superb risk management and safety programs in this state that are overseen by talented risk managers," Hodge said.

The county's Safety and Risk Management Department successfully implemented strategies that focused on reducing the number of painful and costly strains and lifting injuries to Charleston County EMS workers. The effort resulted in the number of on-the-job injuries being reduced by more than 50 percent and a savings of more than $400,000 in workers compensation insurance this year.

In addition, back injuries to Charleston County EMS workers have been reduced by more than 70 percent since the implementation of new ambulance stretchers and stair chairs that were designed to reduce the heavy and repetitive lifting.

Edisto group gets green space grant

Keep Edisto Beautiful was selected to receive a $2,500 grant from ScottsMiracle-Gro to enhance green space its community.

It was one of 20 groups that ScottsMiracle-Gro corporation chose from across the country.

The group will use the grant money to enhance the green space in front of Town Hall and the water hole.

Chas. paramedic receives Artz Award

Charleston County Emergency Medical Services Paramedic Crew Chief Stacy Krausmann received the Curtis P. Artz Memorial Award at the South Carolina state EMS conference for taking heroic action to save a life.

Krausmann, of Summerville, was off duty on Oct. 15 when she, assisted by an off-duty Summerville police officer, pulled an unresponsive woman from a burning car. One of the criteria for winning the state award is someone who chooses to act when "an option not to act could have been exercised."

Krausmann has worked for Charleston County since 2005 but has been certified as a paramedic for more than eight years.

The Curtis P. Artz Award was established as a memorial to the role Dr. Artz played in the establishment of emergency medical services in South Carolina. It is awarded to those who "subject themselves to unusual risks in an effort to render urgently needed medical care in which the nominee accepted the risk for the sake of caring for the patient."