CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
LEE COUNTY — The Lee County Sheriff’s Office announced today that it has established a new charitable organization, The Lee County Sheriff’s Foundation, and has launched the first fundraiser for the foundation, Cruiser Caffeine.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Foundation will allow the Lee County Sheriff’s Office to extend its community programs/outreach and training initiatives by allowing businesses and individuals to partner with, and make tax-deductible donations directly to, the foundation.
“In consideration of our mission of service to the community, establishing the Lee County Sheriff’s Foundation provides us an additional opportunity to engage in partnerships with organizations that work for the betterment of Lee County,” said Sheriff Jay Jones. “Whether it is promoting education and training for public safety or assisting to enhance the safety of our citizens, we are excited to engage in making our great community even better.”
The Lee County Sheriff’s Foundation Board of Directors will oversee the everyday operations of the organization including fundraising and fund distribution decisions. The Board of Directors consists of: Jessica Henderson, Carlton Hunley IV, Jay Jones, Russell Jones and Carolyn Sadler.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be a member of the Board of Directors for the Lee County Sheriff’s Foundation,” said Hunley. “I have always admired Sheriff Jones, but I know that he does not do his work alone. The staff in his office, and most of all, the law enforcement officers who get in a vehicle each day and pledge to keep our community safe are such a reflection of the Sheriff’s office. I am truly humbled to join the Board for this foundation that is not only going to represent our community well, but also will truly be a part of giving to the community.”
The first program that the Lee County Sheriff’s Foundation is looking to help with is the Clear the List campaign, aimed at helping teachers within Lee County to fulfill their classroom wish lists for the 2024-25 school year.
In the summer of 2023, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office received more than 150 lists from local teachers. Community members and local businesses helped to fulfill as many wishes as possible, but many remained. Through the foundation, the hope is to increase the amount teachers who are helped by this program.
“Within the Sheriff’s Office, we were looking for ways to expand our community outreach efforts,” said Henderson. “The Lee County Sheriff’s Foundation will help us to do that by allowing us to seek out support for programs like Clear the List and R.A.D. Self-Defense classes. Teachers spend so much money out of their pockets to make their classrooms the best environment for learning that they can. The ability to reach more teachers and help with that through Clear the List is one of the things that I am most excited about. As we grow and expand, one of my long-term goals for the foundation is to be able to collaborate with other local organizations to reach their goals as part of our community outreach.”
Cruiser Caffeine
Along with the launch, the Lee County Sheriff’s Foundation announced its first fundraiser, Cruiser Caffeine, a special medium roast coffee in collaboration with Mama Mocha’s Roastery, a locally owned business in downtown Opelika. Cruiser Caffeine is a medium roast, hand-selected by Mama Mocha herself that is approachable, chocolatey and clean.
Each bag of Cruiser Caffeine coffee costs $16, of which $8 goes to the Lee County Sheriff’s Foundation and $8 goes to Mama Mocha’s. It is available for pre-sale at lcsofoundation.org/coffee through March 21.
For more information about the Lee County Sheriff’s Foundation or Cruiser Caffeine, visit lcso-foundation.org or email lcsofoundation@leecountysheriff.org.