By Tara McLellan
Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
ST. TAMMANY, La. — On a recent lazy morning, Dwayne Shockley and a friend were enjoying a summer sunrise and a cup of coffee when the unthinkable happened. Shockley was on the phone to 911.
“It looked like my friend was having a heart attack or a stroke,” he said. “He was displaying signs of trouble. I needed help fast. I called 9-1-1 and went out on my balcony to wait for them and wave them in to my house out on the Rigolets. As I watched them approach, I could see them make a left turn instead of a right to my house. They were going the wrong way.”
What should have been a routine call for emergency responders turned out to be a confusing maze of streets with no street signage and a lack of GPS navigating tools. That’s when Shockley decided to take matters into his own hands, by organizing a Wine Tasting and Raffle, to be held Saturday, 6 to 8 p.m., at Griffith Park.
“It turned out that my friend was OK and just suffering from severe dehydration, but things could have turned out very differently,” Shockley said. “I saw a problem and decided that since I was in a position to help that I would do something.”
Shockley quickly organized a group effort to celebrate local firefighters and emergency responders, raise funds for GPS systems for all local units, and to allow the community to come together for a night of fun and entertainment.
“I went to Best Buy, which immediately provided the discounted GPS systems and installation. Other local businesses got on board as well, and the event looks like it’s going to be a great night,” he said.
Shockley, who hopes to raise the $4,000 to $5,000 necessary to cover the expenses of the systems, plans to make the event more than just a one-time night.
“If we go over the amount we need, we’re going to donate that money directly into the Safe Kids fund and Fit as a Firefighter summer camp. Also, we hope to do this every year, to fill in the budget gap for what these guys need,” he said.
Copyright 2009 The Times-Picayune Publishing Company