Students and adults can now find out some of what an impaired suspect experiences, thanks to a grant from the Good Shepherd Fund to the Columbus CountySheriff’s Office.
Amanda Formyduval with the Good Shepherd Fund presented the CCSO with a $2,500 check from the fund July 1. The Good Shepherd Fund was established in 1988 after the sale of The Good Shepherd Home in Lake Waccamaw. Columbus County Sheriff’s Office will be utilizing the awarded grant money to purchase items for Red Ribbon Week, a field sobriety test mat, and a Drunk Busters Pedal Kart.
The Red Ribbon Campaign is the largest drug abuse prevention campaign in the United States. Columbus County Sheriff’s Office will use a portion of the awarded funds for supplies for Red Ribbon Week to reach youth enrolled in Columbus County schools, educating them about the dangers of drug use. Red Ribbon Week takes place each year from Oct. 23-31.
A field sobriety test mat will also be purchased with funds from the awarded grant. The field sobriety test mat is a vinyl mat that can be used for educational purposes such as community demonstrations, or utilized by deputies for field sobriety tests. This portable mat, when paired with Drunk Busters Goggles, allows youth and adults the opportunity to experience a simulation of the effects of drugs and alcohol, while performing specific tasks.
The Sheriff’s Office will also use some of the grant money to purchase a Drunk Buster Pedal Kart. The Pedal Kart allows participants to navigate a simulated course while sober and again while wearing the Drunk Busters Goggles to replicate driving while impaired. This educational tool will be used in Columbus County schools, community demonstrations, and during Cadet training.
Each year, the Good Shepherd Board of Directors accepts applications for mini-grants. Grant money is to be used solely for intervention and/or prevention of substance and alcohol abuse.
“Columbus County Sheriff’s Office is grateful for the opportunity the Good Shepherd Fund has awarded us,” Sheriff Jody Greene said. “Together, we will use these tools to further educate Columbus County youth about the dangers of substance and alcohol abuse.”
