Lee County Injury Prevention Coalition presents annual awards
On Wednesday Dec. 21, the Lee County Injury Prevention Coalition honored several local organizations and citizens with its annual Injury Prevention Awards. These awards are given to member organizations and/or citizens in recognition of their contributions and support of the coalition’s mission of creating a safe community in which to live, play and work.
The Lee County Sheriffs Office was chosen and honored for the “Injury Prevention Organization / Agency of the Year Award” for supporting the coalitions mission and critical safety initiatives including the prevention of prescription drug abuse in Lee County through Operation Medicine Cabinet, Gang Awareness Training Education and providing support services for Car Fit technician training.
The following members and organizations were honor for their respective awards:
Injury Prevention Citizen Volunteer of the Year: Jim Scollen, for his advocacy and support of veterans and Lee County citizens.
Injury Prevention Professional of the Year: Brian Raimondo, Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization. Raimondo was recognized for compiling, reviewing and editing datasets to provide detailed motor vehicle and bike/pedestrian crash site locations to help identify prevention opportunities.
Injury Prevention Sponsor/Partner of the Year: Lee County Public Safety for providing vital financial and organizational support and expertise in injury prevention in Lee County including “Step WiseLee” (falls prevention program), Safe Kids Lee/Collier Counties, and the GATE program.
Injury Prevention Media Partner of the Year: WGCU Public Media was recognized for promoting health and safety initiatives through stories focused on falls prevention, gang awareness and prevention, distracted driving awareness, and bike and pedestrian safety.
Injury Prevention Program/Outreach Effort of the Year: Abby Services In Home Health Care for Operation Rx. A private sector member of Lee County Injury Prevention Coalition, Abby Services showed their commitment to the mission by coordinating and facilitating Operation Medicine Cabinet to help combat prescription drug abuse.
Lee County Injury Prevention Coalition also gave special recognition to Andy Fowler, Robert Moss and Justin Bacon, three citizens who rescued a child from drowning at this year’s Taste of the Town, held along the Caloosahatchee River in Centennial Park in Fort Myers.