Defibrillators donated to four local vet groups

ASHEBORO — The nonprofit organization Honoring Our Veterans donated defibrillators to four veterans groups on Oct. 12 at Wayne Thomas Chevrolet.

Noting the annual Honoring Our Veterans Cruise-in held Sept. 16 at the Chevrolet dealership, Wayne Thomas told the founders of the event how much their efforts help to produce a successful car show while raising money for the Randolph County Veterans Council. 

In addition, this year the organization is also providing AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) defibrillators to American Legion Posts 45 in Asheboro and 81 in Liberty, Amvets Post 915 and Special Forces Post 57.

Wayne McGrady, organizer with Jerry Trotter of Honoring Our Veterans, said, “It’s a good idea to have (defibrillators) and know how to use them. It’s pretty easy. If someone has a heart attack, you can use a defibrillator.” 

McGrady added that the kits, which cost about $1,500 each, provided instructions on their use. Funds for them came from donations apart from the Honoring Our Veterans Cruise-in.

Joe Johnson, commander of Post 45, said, “We’ve been trying to get one but the money is hard to find.” Accepting the defibrillator for his American Legion post, he added, “I hope we never have to use it, but we’ve got it, thanks to Honoring Our Veterans.”