OSAGE BEACH, Mo. – Three hours, 392 smoke detectors to local homes: Community Foundation of the Lake volunteers battled 100F heat and pop-up storms for the prospect of saving lives at the Great Smoke Detector Giveaway.
Thanks to a $10,000 grant from Farmers Insurance, CFL gave away smoke detectors on July 14 from Hy-Vee’s parking lot to anyone with a home in the tri-county area.
The Great Smoke Detector Giveaway has now distributed nearly 2,000 early-detection smoke alarms through three events. The next giveaway will likely take place this autumn in Camdenton.
“Over the last three events, we’ve had fantastic support from five local fire districts, adding enormous visibility and valuable education to the event,” said Rick Kruse, Vice Chairman of the Farmers Insurance Board of Governors and Board Member of Community Foundation of the Lake. “Fire districts have also been offering to install detectors for families in need of assistance.”
Businesses critical to the effort included Farmers, The Wagner Agency, Menards, Hy-Vee, LakeExpo.com, Central Bank of Lake of the Ozarks, Above & Beyond Roofing, A-Z Home Services, Smart Postal Centers and Kohl’s volunteers.
To date, Farmers has contributed $30,000 to the effort through the CFL Disaster Recovery Fund.
In the spirit of preparedness, CFL is leading the charge locally to raise awareness of its Disaster Recovery Fund. While Farmers Insurance works proactively to prepare families to survive during disaster, CFL is raising funds to support the local community when victimized by unexpected and catastrophic events.
The CFL Disaster Recovery Fund was created to assist in readiness and relief efforts, efficiently addressing many needs should a disaster occur in our area. This Recovery Fund allows flexibility for recovery efforts that might not otherwise be available from the government or volunteers.
“It’s CFL’s goal to make sure local people in need do not fall through the cracks after being victimized by disaster,” CFL President Amanda Fagan said.
