SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – After two years of dedication, the 200 Club of the Coastal Empire is celebrating a huge milestone.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp recently signed a bill into law furthering the organization’s mission to help family members of fallen first responders attend college without the financial burden.
Before Georgia Senate Bill 20, the 200 Club was only able to provide scholarships to families members who lived in one of the 20 counties the organization served.
Now, scholarships are available statewide.
This new legislation guarantees free tuition to surviving family members of public safety workers and educators who make the ultimate sacrifice in serving their community.
State Rep. Jesse Petrea sponsored the bill, which took two years to finally become law.
Mark Dana, the organization President and CEO, says Governor Brian Kemp also supported the measure as it made its way through the legislature.
Dana says these scholarships that all Georgian first responder families now have access to will have a tremendous impact on their lives and educational opportunities.
“If somebody has an opportunity to go to school, oftentimes they don’t do so because they don’t have the funds to do it. It’s expensive. And so, we want to make sure that at least people know about it, the families know about it and take advantage of it.”
Dana also says money can never replace a lost loved one, but funds can be helpful in relieving the financial burden that comes with these tragic events.
“We’re just so thankful that there are going to be no first responder families in the state of Georgia left behind. And that’s the most important because prior to this there were a lot of first responders within the state that didn’t have any of these benefits and now they do.”
This new law goes into effect this year.
As long as individuals meet the criteria of being a spouse or child of a fallen first responder or educator, they can apply for the scholarship.
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