Photos by LayU Farmer
Attorney General Roy Cooper, right, presents an award to Cleveland Hunt on Tuesday.
Two are honored for
protecting young lives
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
Cleveland Hunt will never
forget the day the call came in.
"9-1 -J received a call; they
had found an abandoned
baby," related the Nash
County firefighter. The child,
a boy, was only two days old -
stuffed in a Cheetos container
and discarded in a dumpster in
Rocky Mount, he says.
The death of the nameless
infant resonated with Hunt and
many others in the firehouse.
With more than 30 years on
the job. Hunt has seen it all.
Yet he was shaken by the
senselessness of the tragedy.
"I was (touched) to see a
child like that just aban
doned," he commented. "We
actually adopted the child
back through Nash County
and, with the local support, we
actually gave the child a bur
ial. We named it John Nash
because it's Nash County."
It didn't have to happenf: A
Safe Surrender Law was
passed by the NC General
Assembly in 2001. The law
states that a child may be
anonymously surrendered to
any responsible adult with no
questions asked.
The law stipulates that the
child must be less than a week
old and unharmed.
Baby Nash's mother didn't
appear to know she had
options. Hunt wanted to make
sure other mothers did.
"I said I want to take this
law and educate the public; I
want to put out signs at all the
fire departments to let people
know that the fire and rescue
stations are a safe haven," he
said. "We educate the public
on putting fire alarms in the
house, we tell moms how to
put car seats in cars ... it's our
job to educate the public about
the Safe Haven Law."
Hunt raised over $1800 for
the production of the signs,
which are now posted in every
fire station in Nash County.
Prevent Child Abuse North
Carolina took notice.
The statewide nonprofit
honored Hunt for his efforts at
its Awards Luncheon. The
luncheon was part of the
"Investing in Healthy
Families" conference held in
the Twin City Quarter March
17 & 18. More than 50 work
shops were offered at the
annual gathering, which was
sponsored by the North
Carolina Division of Social
Services.
North Carolina Attorney
General Roy Cooper made the
trip to present the awards to
Hunt and Blue Ribbon Parent
Award Winner Beth Taylor at
the March 18 luncheon, which
was held at thf Embassy
Suites hotel.
"I want to say thank you to
so many people out there who
know the pain of child abuse
and neglect and who are work
ing everyday ... to make a real
difference in the lives of chil
dren," Cooper stated. "It
excites me what you're doing
Beth Taylor
out there to try to protect
kids."
Taylor, a resident of Old
Fort. She was honored for her
involvement in FAST
(Families and Schools
Together) and the Citcle of
'Parents, a parental, support
group.
A Springs Global employ
ee, she convinced the compa
ny's president to help both
organizations last year. At her
urging, the blanket manufac
turer donated 400 blankets to
impoverished local families.
"Actually being able to
help - that's been awesome,"
said the soft spoken Taylor.
She is a longtime member
of FAST who volunteers as a
parent partner. She joined the
group in 2000, hoping for a
3 better way to discipline her
son. Though honored by the
award, Taylor says she has
already reaped the benefits of
her thvolvement.
"ftf you're abused as a
(ShiltJi you don't want to put
your, child through that so*
you'Ve got to break that
cycla," she commented, her
eyes. Rearing up. "This pro
gram has helped me break that
cycle."
?
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life.
"It seemed like hours," she
said of the time that transpired
as site waited to hear if her son
had survived. "They said his
heart was so weak it couldn't
beat on its own."
His kidney function has
since plummeted as well, leav
ing Neal and his family hoping
. for not one, but two miracles.
"Even though I feel like
sometimes I am going to fall on
my face, I just have to remind
myself that it's in God's
hands," Myers commented. "I
feel optimistic that every
thing's going to turn out (all
right)."
Since December, Neal's
days have been spent at home,
in the hospital, or somewhere
in between. The heart failure
contributes to a constant nau
sea that has left him unable to
eat on many occasions. Other
symptoms have caused him to
be hospitalized twice this year.
He has dropped more than 30
pounds.
To add insult to injury, the
bills keep piling up. Neal is
insured and on disability. Yet
the cost of his medications and
doctor's visits, coupled with
the gas it takes to get to the
transplant specialist in Chapel
Hill, continue to mount.
"It s always continual,
Myers said with a sigh. "I just
tell (the creditors) they can't
get blood out of a turnip. 1 just
have to pay them what I can
and that's that."
Recognizing the challenge
that Lisa and Robert Myers are
up against, friends are pitching
in. Carolina Cruisers
Motorcycle Club - which the
Myers helped found - is host
ing a special fundraiser for
Neal.
"Our club is mainly to
serve our community,"
declared Cruisei^ President
Donne 11 Warren. "We're trying
to help people when we can."
The club will host its Poker
Run Benefit Ride April 19,
traveling more than 160 miles
on Neal's behalf. Registration
fees garnered from participat
ing riders will go ? towards
Neal's; expenses. Warren says.
The group hopes to raise
$1,500 for the cause, he added.
Photo by Lavla Farmer
Carolina Cruisers Donnell Warren, From left, Don Ellis and
John Cunningham, with Warren's four-year-old grandson.
where riders will draw cards
from a deck. The riders with
the highest hand and the lowest
hand will win prizes. All riders
will return to their original
starting point for fellowship
and a meal provided by the
Cruisers.
The Carolina Cruisers are
accustomed to giving. They
help out several times a year at
various community events,
including the Boston Round
Up and the Peace Toys for War
Toys program at the William C.
Sims Center.
But this time, its personal.
"We know a lot of bike
guys who (would) like to do
something like this - like to
ride and like to help this fami
ly," Warren remarked. "We
wanted to do something for
somebody, so we figured we
needed to start with our club ?
first."
For more information
about the Poker Run Benefit
Ride, contact Warren at (336)
413-0212. Donations to the
Neal fund can be sent to John
Cunningham, 49 Arita Circle,
Winston-Salem, 27105. Make
checks payable to Carolina
Cruisers MIC. ^
f ANGELA JENIFER
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TYLER PERRY'S
Faith gave her hope. Fwe gave her family.
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