Thanks to a $1,000 grant from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) and a $500 donation from Walmart in Chehalis, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office will soon distribute helmets in the community.
The state Legislature allocated $10,000 in 2021 for a helmet distribution program in an effort to reduce traumatic brain injuries. The WASPC is allocating the funds to local law enforcement agencies in the form of grants. The money is to be used to purchase helmets for bicyclists, skateboarders and others.
“Working through our Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) Target Zero Manager (TZM) Dianne Swanson and agency Law Enforcement Liaison (LEL) Sergeant Jeff Godbey, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office secured a $1,000 helmet mini-grant,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a news release. “As a result, Sergeant Godbey worked with our local retail partners at Chehalis Walmart to, in short order, obtain an array of helmet styles, colors and sizes for distribution.”
Walmart donated an additional $500 toward the effort.
“We are always looking for ways to make our communities safer and it’s through partnerships that we make this happen,” Sheriff Rob Snaza said in the release. “We appreciate the Legislature making these funds available through WASPC, and for our WTSC TZM Mrs. Swanson and LEL Sergeant Godbey taking advantage of this grant opportunity that will ultimately benefit citizens within our communities. Lastly, we can’t thank our partners at Walmart enough for their unwavering support of special opportunities like this, as well as our yearly Shop with a Cop event. Simply put, they are awesome partners!”
