Project Lifesaver

The local nonprofit group MiHi held a holiday basket bingo extravaganza Sunday at the Elks Club to raise money to maintain its Project Lifesaver program and honor a commitment to help pay for a new handicap-accessible playground at Marshall Street School in Hagerstown, according to an email from the organization's ambassador-at-large, Mary Besecker. Also known as Many Individuals Helping Individuals, the group is celebrating its 25th anniversary, according to a letter promoting the event.

A missing "project lifesaver" client was found in the Back Creek Valley area in Berkeley County, W.Va., after a brief search Thursday afternoon, the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office said. Project Lifesaver is a program that assists families and caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's, autism, Down syndrome, traumatic brain injuries and other cognitive disabilities who tend to wander and become confused. The sheriff's office received a call about the missing person at about 12:36 p.m., when the person had been missing for about 45 minutes, according to a sheriff's office news release.

Sometimes, fun has a serious purpose. That was the case Saturday morning, when dozens of people participated in the third annual Tour de Park Linn Hendershot Memorial Walk, Ride or Wheelchair. The event at Fairgrounds Park was a fundraiser for Project Lifesaver, a program that provides rapid response to missing people with autism, Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome and other related brain disorders. Project Lifesaver is an international program that was brought to Washington County with the help of the late N. Linn Hendershot, an advocate for people with disabilities, event organizer Lynn Deibert said.

HAGERSTOWN -- Deputy 1st Class Dan Watson was "found" Friday morning in Hagerstown's City Park by a search party using Project Lifesaver antennae to hone in on his location. Watson, who was playing the part of a missing person, and the law enforcement officers who found him, were taking part in a demonstration of Project Lifesaver. The program uses radio transmitters and receivers to locate and rescue program participants. It's designed for people who have a diagnosed cognitive disorder, said Lynn Deibert, the Project Lifesaver coordinator for Washington County.

Project Lifesaver of Washington County is sponsoring the N. Linn Hendershot Tour de Park memorial bicycle ride Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. The ride, to be held at Hagerstown Fairgrounds Park, is open to all children, regardless of disability. A wheelchair-bound former Hagerstown City Council member and community activist, Hendershot died in early May. One of the last projects Hendershot was working on was Project Lifesaver, which works with children and adults with brain disorders who tend to wander.

Project Lifesaver of Washington County is sponsoring the N. Linn Hendershot Tour de Park memorial bicycle ride Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. The ride at Hagerstown Fairgrounds Park is open to all children, regardless of disability. Hendershot, a wheelchair-bound former Hagerstown City Council member and community activist, died in early May. One of the last projects Hendershot was working on was Project Lifesaver, which works with children and adults with brain disorders who tend to wander.

HAGERSTOWN - You might not have noticed the curb cuts on Hagerstown street corners allowing people who use wheelchairs to get around. But perhaps you have gone Martin L. "Marty" Snook Memorial Park and noticed children with and without disabilities playing together at the accessible Boundless Playground. Each of these boons to the Hagerstown community, and many more, are due in part to the efforts of community activist and former Hagerstown City Councilman N. Linn Hendershot, who passed away in May. Community members and representatives from city and county agencies celebrated Hendershot's passion and accomplishments Saturday morning at the N. Linn Hendershot Tour de Park memorial bicycle ride.

HAGERSTOWN -- You might not have noticed the curb cuts on Hagerstown street corners allowing people who use wheelchairs to get around. But perhaps you have gone Martin L. "Marty" Snook Memorial Park and noticed children with and without disabilities playing together at the accessible Boundless Playground. Each of these boons to the Hagerstown community, and many more, are due in part to the efforts of community activist and former Hagerstown City Councilman N. Linn Hendershot, who passed away in May. Community members and representatives from city and county agencies celebrated Hendershot's passion and accomplishments Saturday morning at the N. Linn Hendershot Tour de Park memorial bicycle ride.

HAGERSTOWN - Global positioning technology soon will help rescuers more easily find Washington County residents prone to wandering away from their families. Emergency workers will use a global positioning system to zero in on transmitters attached to people at risk of getting lost. A person prone to walking off - usually because of a cognitive disorder, such as Alzheimer's disease or autism - might be eligible for a transmitter on his or her wrist, in a plastic case, similar to a watch.

Proceeds from this year's Hagerstown Suns Chili Cook-Off & Music Festival will benefit Project Lifesaver, a public safety nonprofit that uses rapid-response technology to find missing people. In its fifth year, the cook-off - Saturday at Memorial Stadium - is part cooking contest, part music festival, and part fundraiser. Participants compete for best overall chili, which comes with cash prizes, people's choice and best booth. Each year a different charity receives the proceeds, said Joel Pagliaro, Suns director of special events.

The local nonprofit group MiHi held a holiday basket bingo extravaganza Sunday at the Elks Club to raise money to maintain its Project Lifesaver program and honor a commitment to help pay for a new handicap-accessible playground at Marshall Street School in Hagerstown, according to an email from the organization's ambassador-at-large, Mary Besecker. Also known as Many Individuals Helping Individuals, the group is celebrating its 25th anniversary, according to a letter promoting the event.

A missing "project lifesaver" client was found in the Back Creek Valley area in Berkeley County, W.Va., after a brief search Thursday afternoon, the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office said. Project Lifesaver is a program that assists families and caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's, autism, Down syndrome, traumatic brain injuries and other cognitive disabilities who tend to wander and become confused. The sheriff's office received a call about the missing person at about 12:36 p.m., when the person had been missing for about 45 minutes, according to a sheriff's office news release.

Sometimes, fun has a serious purpose. That was the case Saturday morning, when dozens of people participated in the third annual Tour de Park Linn Hendershot Memorial Walk, Ride or Wheelchair. The event at Fairgrounds Park was a fundraiser for Project Lifesaver, a program that provides rapid response to missing people with autism, Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome and other related brain disorders. Project Lifesaver is an international program that was brought to Washington County with the help of the late N. Linn Hendershot, an advocate for people with disabilities, event organizer Lynn Deibert said.

Memorial Rec says thanks Memorial Recreation Center concluded its summer program with a last splash at the pool. The children enjoyed the pool this summer thanks to a generous donation from an anonymous supporter as well as financial support from the community. The youths also enjoyed several field trips, one which included a trip to Hagerstown Ice & Sports Complex. Loretta Wright, Memorial Rec's executive director, said, "It was a good summer and it wouldn't have been possible without the help of the community and the countless number of our neighbors and friends and I thank them all for being a part of this success, and a special thank you to the anonymous donor.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- A rapid response system that helps emergency responders track adults and children who tend to stray due to Alzheimer's disease, autism, Down syndrome and other conditions is being implemented in Berkeley County by the sheriff's department. Sheriff Kenneth M. Lemaster Jr. said he expects to have 19 deputies who can use the Project Lifesaver system after training wraps up this week. The system involves the use of a bracelet that transmits an individualized radio signal that law enforcement personnel can pick up within a one-mile radius using receiver and antennae equipment.

HAGERSTOWN -- Deputy 1st Class Dan Watson was "found" Friday morning in Hagerstown's City Park by a search party using Project Lifesaver antennae to hone in on his location. Watson, who was playing the part of a missing person, and the law enforcement officers who found him, were taking part in a demonstration of Project Lifesaver. The program uses radio transmitters and receivers to locate and rescue program participants. It's designed for people who have a diagnosed cognitive disorder, said Lynn Deibert, the Project Lifesaver coordinator for Washington County.

Senior Center Day set for Sept. 17 September is National Senior Center Month and to honor the monthlong designation, the Washington County Senior Center is hosting Senior Center Day Thursday, Sept. 17. The event will highlight what is being offered at the senior center - "Washington County's Best Kept Secret" - which is temporarily housed at Girls Inc. at 626 Washington Ave. in Hagerstown. From 9 a.m. to noon, there will be demonstration tables in the activity room for: o painting (watercolor, acrylic and oil)

HAGERSTOWN - You might not have noticed the curb cuts on Hagerstown street corners allowing people who use wheelchairs to get around. But perhaps you have gone Martin L. "Marty" Snook Memorial Park and noticed children with and without disabilities playing together at the accessible Boundless Playground. Each of these boons to the Hagerstown community, and many more, are due in part to the efforts of community activist and former Hagerstown City Councilman N. Linn Hendershot, who passed away in May. Community members and representatives from city and county agencies celebrated Hendershot's passion and accomplishments Saturday morning at the N. Linn Hendershot Tour de Park memorial bicycle ride.

HAGERSTOWN -- You might not have noticed the curb cuts on Hagerstown street corners allowing people who use wheelchairs to get around. But perhaps you have gone Martin L. "Marty" Snook Memorial Park and noticed children with and without disabilities playing together at the accessible Boundless Playground. Each of these boons to the Hagerstown community, and many more, are due in part to the efforts of community activist and former Hagerstown City Councilman N. Linn Hendershot, who passed away in May. Community members and representatives from city and county agencies celebrated Hendershot's passion and accomplishments Saturday morning at the N. Linn Hendershot Tour de Park memorial bicycle ride.