Law Enforcement Association presents $3K to non-profits

CRESTVIEW — Four local non-profits that provide services to children, disabled adults and families of slain law enforcement officers received $750 each following Crestview Police Chief Tony Taylor’s distribution of $3,000.

Taylor dropped off checks to Ken Hair of Children in Crisis; Pat Franklin of the Children's Advocacy Center; Joey Forgione of Northwest Florida C.O.P.S. (Concerns of Police Survivors); and Heather Blansit and Mike Whitley of Horizons/The ARC of the Emerald Coast.

The First Judicial Circuit Law Enforcement Association, a nonprofit organization that represents the law enforcement community and helps to raise money for local charities and other programs, collected the money.

“The organization conducts fundraisers each year,” Taylor said. “The events usually involve tickets and drawings.”

Taylor said he was pleased by the variety of organizations the association chose to support this year.

“Of course, everybody knows cops love kids,” Taylor said. “And the C.O.P.S. program is something that is very important to our law enforcement community.”

At the C.O.P.S. check presentation outside Destin City Hall, Taylor discussed the state of Okaloosa County law enforcement with Forgione, whose brother, Anthony Forgione, as an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputy, was slain in the line of duty in 2008.

Joey Forgione said the outpouring of support C.O.P.S. provided his family in the wake of his brother’s murder helped them tremendously through the aftermath of the incident and the Law Enforcement Association’s gift would provide similar benefits to other families.

As for Hair, “It’s all about the kids,” he said upon receiving the gift. “That’s all we care about.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Law Enforcement Association presents $3K to non-profits