Chattanooga Rotary Club Provides LifeVac To Every School In Hamilton County

Members of the Chattanooga Rotary Club are providing Hamilton County Schools with LifeVac anti-choking units for every public school in the County. The value of the donation is approximately $20,000.

Rotary Club Project Chair Don McDowell noted that Rotarian Paula Henderson brought the idea to the club after a presentation featuring information about the life-changing units that are currently in over 2,700 restaurants and public spaces throughout the county’s footprint.

“When Paula shared that 3,000 lives have been saved through the use of these units, we knew it made perfect sense for our Club to support,” Chair McDowell said. He noted that the Club has been working with non-profit Greg 02 on the effort.

Officials said, "Greg 02 began when local businessman Greg Creswell lost his life when his windpipe became blocked with food at a local restaurant. With few options besides the Heimlich, Greg passed away from a preventable situation. Greg’s older brother Rob Creswell, spoke passionately to Rotary about the LifeVac device and the seeds to support it throughout the county were planted."

The units will be placed strategically near food service and teacher lounges in the schools.

Chair McDowell anticipates that each school will receive two or three devices.

“Rotarians are ordinary people doing extraordinary things and this project is certainly proof of this. The facts show that LifeVac has saved the lives of several of our citizens and we are honored to step up to provide units that will assist in keeping our students safe," he said.