Chesapeake, VA.

Chief Gene Saunders, CEO and other representatives from Project Lifesaver International, will ring The Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange in New York City on December 31, 2007 on behalf of the non-profit organization. Also in attendance will be Chief Barry Thacker, Lt. Col. Rick Rahim, Capt. Bo Garvin, Daryl Bank, and representatives from the Morris County, NJ and Suffolk County, NY Sheriffs offices

Gene Saunders, CEO of Project Lifesaver said " To ring the bell and signify the opening of the New York Stock Exchange will be yet another golden opportunity to bring attention and awareness about a program that helps others. We appreciate the invitation to participate in this event, and the chance to spread the word about life saving efforts occurring nationwide."

One of the many goals of Project Lifesaver is to provide awareness that this program exist and works. As awareness increases regarding Alzheimer's, Autism and other related medical conditions that cause people to wander away from the safety of their homes, more citizens search for programs like ours that would assist them in safeguarding their loved one's.

Citizens enrolled in the Project Lifesaver Program wear a personalized wristband that emits a tracking signal. When caregivers notify the local Project Lifesaver agency that the person is missing, a search and rescue team responds to the wanderer's area and starts searching with a mobile locater tracking system. Search times have been reduced from hours and days to just minutes, the average rescue time if notified is less than 30-minutes.

Gene Saunders created project Lifesaver in 1999 and since then it has grown from operating in Chesapeake, Virginia to 42 states in the United States and Canada. Project Lifesaver has over 625 member agencies consisting of Police Departments, Sheriff's Offices, Fire Departments, Search and Rescue Organizations, VA Hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities.

To date Project Lifesaver has had over 1,623 searches nationwide with a 100% recovery rate and no fatalities.

It is projected that there are over 5 million people in the United States alone that have Alzheimer's and the number is growing. This program can help locate them before something happens to them if they should wander.

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