RC Early College students aim to protect K-9s

Published 6:52 pm Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Law enforcement officers wear bulletproof vests to protect themselves from life-threatening wounds.

Made of material that is specially crafted to resist ballistic attacks at different levels, wearing a vest can be the difference between life and death.

While those working in the Vicksburg and Warren County community are issued this protective gear, the K-9’s who serve alongside these men and women go unprotected.

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Therefore in an effort to protect these dogs, the 9th grade student council at River City Early College, is holding a raffle with proceeds to go toward ballistic vests for the four dogs serving the community.

“Each vest costs approximately $900,” River City Early College teacher and sponsor for the 9th grade student council Kayla Sorrels said, and the goal is to raise $4,000 to make sure all added costs such as tax and shipping and handling are covered.

Sorrels said the notion for the fund raiser was the students’ idea.

“They came to me, and we got it approved by the principal and then they pretty much did everything on their own to get it started,” she said, which included bringing in the K-9 officers.

“The students presented a power-point program to them (K-9 officers) about their ideas and what they wanted to do,” she said, adding, “And the officers loved it.”

During this process, Sorrels said, the students were also able to meet all but one of the dogs that they are raising money for.

Some may think one vest could serve all four dogs, Sorrels said, but because the vests are sized, it would not have properly fit all the dogs.

In addition to presenting their idea to the police and sheriff departments’ K-9 units, Sorrels said, the students were also responsible for acquiring all the items that will be raffled off.

Tickets for the raffle, she said, are $5 and more than 20 items are up for grabs including a six-month gym membership to Fitness Works, a three-month membership with joining fee waved at the YMCA and car detailing by D&T Mobile. There is also a hair product basket/ boutique shirt/ dermaplane facial from Loft Salon and Spa and gift cards from area businesses.

All students from River City Early College are selling tickets, Sorrels said, while the 9th grade student council is continuing to oversee their project.

Drawings for the raffle items will begin on April 23 and run through April 26.

“We will video live from Facebook so people can watch the drawings,” Sorrels said.

Winners will also be notified if they are the recipients of a prize.

“Currently, we are only about $600 away from being able to buy all four vests,” Sorrels said.

And in the case ticket sells exceed the $4,000, she said, overage would go to the school, since it is a small school without a lot of PTO funding.

For more information or to purchase a ticket, call 601-629-6812. Tickets are also available at the school, which is located at 755 Mississippi 27.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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