FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
Monique Bond
September 7, 2011
312-814-8367
217-782-3367
www.isp.state.il.us
TDD: 1-800-255-3323
ILLINOIS STATE TROOPER'S 10- 33 CALL ASSISTS FELLOW JOPLIN OFFICERS
Joplin Police Families to Receive Donations Collected from ISP Officers to
Assist with Recovery from the EF-5 Tornado Devastation
Springfield--Illinois State Police today announced that a donation in the
amount of $1,297 will be forwarded to the Joplin 10-33 Fund created to
assist Joplin police families in need of assistance following the tornado
devastation in May of this year.
Joplin, Missouri, was in the direct path of the tornado where 30 fatalities
were reported, including the destruction of homes, schools, hospitals,
churches, and local area businesses. Joplin First Responders remained on
the frontlines at the expense of their own safety and the safety of their
families.
"When we see our fellow law enforcement partners and their families
confronted by such devastation, we must answer the call," said ISP Trooper
Cary Morin, a Crime Scene Services Investigator in the Division of Forensic
Services. "We know firsthand about the dangers and risks officers take to
protect and serve others, and we want our fellow officers and their
families to know that we are here for them in their time of need," he
stressed.
Morin's idea materialized when he read an article at PoliceOne.com about
the difficulties Joplin, Missouri, officers were encountering after a
tornado destroyed their homes and the surrounding area. Morin contacted
the ISP Credit Union to formally set up the Joplin Fund. Trooper Morin
accepted direct deposits, donations through a PayPal account, and received
individual and group donations from ISP employees, family, friends, and
officers from other departments in Illinois. Morin then contacted Ten-Four
Ministries to have them facilitate the donations received.
"The generosity of our nation and our fellow police officers continues to
amaze and touch me," said Joplin Police Chief Lane Roberts. "The Joplin
Police Department is humbled and appreciative by ISP's efforts and good
wishes," he added.
ISP Colonel Scott Giles applauded Trooper Morin's selfless actions and
expressed his thoughts about the Department's mission. "These actions
embody the true ideals of this Organization's commitment to integrity,
service, and pride, and we are proud to be able to extend that commitment
to our Joplin police families," he added.
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One Driving Fatality is One too Many and Illinois State Police are
Committed to Driving Zero Fatalities to a Reality
