Fred Merritt's Fund "Razor" Benefit JAN 28th (A Huge Success)

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Fred Merritt's Fund "Razor" Benefit JAN 28th (A Huge Success)

Fred Merritt's Fund "Razor" Benefit JAN 28th (A Huge Success)
BY: David Mills

Rockland, ME - What do you do when one in the community was in a horrible car crash? The answer is you set up a wonderful benefit to raise money for the family of the person that was serious hurt in the crash.

Back in December a beloved Schooner Bay Taxi driver, Fred Merritt was in a horrible car crash on his way to Portland due to a person fallen asleep behind the wheel. It has been a hard road for Fred Merritt's family during this time. Fred is loved by the whole community who got together for a wonderful fund "razor" benefit to raise money for the family on Saturday January 28th, 2012. The host and in charge of getting things in order was Tami-Lynn Spears of this benefit for Fred Merritt and family. Tami did a wonderful job getting a musician, volunteers, food and making sure everything was all set up.

Here is what Chris said about this event. I would like to thank everybody that showed up at the "Fund-Razor" last night at the Rockland American Legion! We estimated there were over 350 people who attended! There was a lot of food, a lot of fun, and a live feed to see Fred at CMMC and we could see him and his wife Christine! It was a wonderful experience! This community is a great place to live and work! I don't know the words to express the feelings for the love and support for my family! All I can say is I can't thank all of you enough! The volunteers that helped out, Ladies Night Express for helping getting this going, UBM for participating, and all the people who helped in the kitchen, selling tickets, and making food thank you, without you, this would not have been possible! This certainly gives the family a relief and gives my dad the fight he needs to push forward! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

We here at Rocky Coast News want to thank all those that turned out for this wonderful fund "razor" benefit for Fred Merritt and family. It was a wonderful night seeing all those in the community that turned out for this great cause.

A big thank you to the American Legion, who graciously donated the use of the hall for this event.

Please don't drive if you are tired as it may turn into a car crash that seriously hurt somebody who is beloved by the community. If you get tired while driving use this tips below courtesy of triple A.

Get a good night's sleep : The amount needed varies from individual to individual, but sleep experts recommend between 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

Plan to drive long trips with a companion : Passengers can help look for early warning signs of fatigue, and switching drivers may be helpful. Passengers should stay awake and monitor the driver's condition.

Take regular breaks : Schedule regular stops - every 100 miles or 2 hours, even if you don't feel tired, and more often if you feel like you need it.

Avoid alcohol and medications : If medications warn that they cause or may cause drowsiness, avoid taking them before driving. If you must take certain prescription medications that cause drowsiness, don't drive immediately after taking them.

You should never consume alcohol before driving in the first place, but it is especially important to realize that alcohol interacts with fatigue, increasing sleepiness. If you are already tired, even a small quantity of alcohol may exacerbate your sleepiness and increase your risk of crashing, even if your BAC is well below the legal limit for a DWI conviction.

Consult your physician or a local sleep disorders center : If you suffer frequent daytime sleepiness, experience difficulty sleeping at night, and/or snore loudly on a regular basis, consult your physician or local sleep disorders center for a diagnosis and treatment.

For more information about sleep, sleep disorders, and the effects of sleeping too little, visit the National Sleep Foundation web site.

You can learn more about driving fatigued by clicking here.

Finally, we are happy to announce that Fred Merritt is expected to make a full recovery, which is wonderful news.

Now, enjoy some photographs from this wonderful fund "razor" benefit below.