At 200 Club of Mercer County Luncheon
The annual 200 Club of Mercer County Luncheon will be held on June 18 at the Mercer Oaks Golf Course Clubhouse in West Windsor.
The event will feature the director of New Jersey’s Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, Richard L. Canas. On March 16, 2006, Gov. Jon S. Corzine created the cabinet-level office and appointed Mr. Canas as its first director. Mr. Canas served in the private sector for eight years following a career spanning 34 years in law enforcement, intelligence, counter terrorism, and policy-making at the national level.
The club also will present Valor Awards — the highest honor bestowed by the organization — to Sgt. Elwood “Woody” Benner, of the Hopewell Township Police Department, and Mounted Patrol Officer John Harbourt, of the Trenton Police Department.
Sgt. Benner recently received his own department’s Life-Saving Award for helping a severely injured truck driver after a Feb. 21 accident.
A Central Jersey Waste and Recycling truck lost its brakes on a hill on Amwell Road. The driver, Lee Hood, 51, of Trenton, jumped out of the truck just before it hit a bridge. The truck ran over one of Mr. Hoods legs, which was subsequently amputated at an area hospital.
When Sgt. Benner arrived, the trucker was lying in the road. He had lost a lot of blood from what was obviously an extremely serious leg injury, according to township Chief George Meyer. With a citizen’s help, Sgt. Benner used Mr. Hood’s belt as a tourniquet. This prevented the loss of a lot of blood and possibly saved the trucker’s life.
The luncheon is open to the public and costs $40 per person, or $400 for table of 10. Attendees who apply for membership will get the luncheon as part of their application cost. Membership is $200 and is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. The 200 Club of Mercer County is a tax-exempt charity under section 501(c)(3). Corporate sponsorships are also encouraged and appreciated. To order tickets or make a donation, send a check to: The 200 Club of Mercer County, P.O. Box 6755, Lawrenceville, 08648.
The 200 Club of Mercer County is one of several hundred associations nationwide dedicated to providing financial assistance to the families of our public safety and rescue personnel who are killed in the line of duty. This includes the police officers (state, county, and municipal), correction officers, fire fighters, and rescue squad technicians of Mercer County. Established in 1979, The 200 Club of Mercer County has provided funds to a multitude of families.
For more information, or to register for this event, call Cathy Frank-White at 397-8528, or the 200 Club Hotline at 609-712.2012. To apply for membership in The 200 Club of Mercer County or register online, visit www.mercer200club.org.