Event at Harrison Plaza will put defibrillators
in BPD cars
By DAVE SCHULTZ
A car show in the Harrison Plaza from 4 to 8 p.m. today will have a benefit beyond trophies and the oohs and aahs of impressed visitors. It could help save a life.
The title of the show is Blue Thunder Rumble. The weather is providing a bit of uncertainty with a forecast of rain, but organizer Ed Ferguson and others in the newly-formed Pharoahs Car Club say the show will go on rain or shine.
When the Pharoahs first got organized in Bluffton, they were thinking of a community service project. Ferguson said he talked with Bluffton Police Chief Kyle Randall about anything the department needs and Randall suggested six defibrillators for police cars. Police cars on patrol are often the first responders to a report of a medical emergency.
A defibrillator is a device that uses a controlled electric shock to normalize the rhythm of the heart or restart it. Quick action to restore the heart’s normal rhythm can save a life in the event of a cardiac emergency.
Ferguson told Randall he and the club members would like to raise the money. Ferguson said he solicited businesses and individuals, seeking enough funds to buy six of the devices that usually retail for about $750. Even before the show, it’s “mission accomplished.”
“We asked people to sponsor a trophy, and then they’d say, ‘Let me write you another check for the defibrillators,” Ferguson said.
“We’re calling it Blue Thunder Rumble,” to give people a chance to support the police, Ferguson said.
Because of the weather, organizers aren’t sure exactly how many vehicles are going to show up. He said he’d had inquiries from across Indiana.
There is no admission fee for the show, but individuals are asked to make a donation to the effort to fund more defibrillators for more police cars.
In addition to the cars on display, there will be door prizes and awards. Concessions will be sold, and a silent auction will be held.
daves@news-banner.coms
