Bracelets find the lost

An autistic childe wanders away from home. A worried family contacts police to find their loved one. The search could take hours, days, or even forever. Or it could take only minutes.

By awarding a US$5,000 grant, the Kiwanis International Foundation is helping the Ramona, California, Kiwanis club purchase radio wave-emitting bracelets and receiving units, which can lead the Northern San Diego County Sheriff’s Department directly to the missing person.

Project Lifesaver’s bracelets are worn by children who have autism, Down syndrome, or some other condition. They also are designed for senior citizens who have various degrees of dementia. The sheriff’s department uses the receiving units to triangulate on the bracelet’s radio signal. Without the technology, law enforcement agencies and communities can spend several days and thousands of dollars on search efforts. Sometimes, the missing persons never are found, or they are injured. Or worse.

Ramona pharmacies helped the Kiwanis club count potential patients and justify the need for such a system.

“We believe there are 20 or more eligible patients who could benefit from such a program,” says Gordon R. Zick, a member of the Ramona Kiwanis club, which contributed to the purchase with proceeds from a fundraising Alaskan cruise.

Contributions to the foundation’s Annual Club Gift Campaign made this grant—and others—possible. For a list of recent KIF grant recipients, click here.