MOUNT VERNON — Community members once again rose to the occasion, collecting $16,650 for Boss, the Mount Vernon Police Department’s new police K-9.
The Arms of An Angel Foundation spearheaded the fundraising, raising $15,000.
The Woodward Opera House and the Community Jazz Concert raised $1,650.
Foundation co-founder Dave Culbertson and Dena Hess, manager of the Woodward Opera House, presented checks to Police Chief Robert Morgan at the April 8 city council meeting.
“About half of it is from fundraisers that we had. The other is from schoolchildren in classrooms and other people in the community that have donated nickels and dimes and dollars or whatever to our cause,” Culbertson said of the foundation’s contribution.
Culbertson and his wife, Ellen, started the foundation in 2009 after losing their son to an overdose.
“We formed the foundation to help bring awareness of prescription drugs and other drug abuses and modern drug issues,” he said.
Initial efforts focused on education and raising awareness. More recently, the foundation has turned toward fundraising.
“The people have been fantastic,” he said.
The foundation has raised money for four other K-9s for the MVPD and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. Boss will replace K-9 Laya. Laya will retire this year.
The foundation started the fundraising campaign last fall. The MVPD gets its K-9s from Storm Dog Tactical in Delaware.
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