Highland Lakes resident presents Sheriff’s Office with check

Highland Lakes resident Sunny Gilliam knew she wanted to give back to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, but she wasn’t sure how.

“I thought, I’m just one person, what can I do,” Gilliam said.

She was first inspired to give back and show her support after the July shooting which killed five Dallas police officers, Gilliam said. While she felt she could not give back on a national level, Gilliam said she wanted to help out local law enforcement officers.

Eventually, she decided to reach out to her neighbors to see if anyone would be interested in also showing their support.

“[I said] would anyone be interested things to do bows on our mailbox just to show our support to law enforcement? And within 20 minutes, my [email] was going bing, bing, bing,” Gilliam said.

Gilliam also approached Kelly Burley, owner of Main Street Florist in Mt Laurel, about making the bows.

"She never questioned how many bows are you going to need,” Gilliam said. “How long is this going to take ... it was all about, 'Yeah, I'd be happy to.'"

The bows have received positive feedback from the community, Gilliam said, including from one individual whose dad is retired law enforcement. Every time he comes to visit Highland Lakes, that resident said her dad feels appreciated.

Burley started making bows in July, and they will continue to hang in Highland Lakes until Oct. 1. Overall, they sold more than 330 bows and raised more than $1,403.

The check was presented to Sheriff John Samaniego at Main Street Florist on Sept. 23.

“We’re very appreciative,” Samaniego said.

The money will likely go toward Project Lifesaver, Samaniego said, a program that uses technology to assist those who care for individuals with special needs or with Alzheimer’s or other related mental dysfunction disorders.

“It gives them a kind of security blanket,” Samaniego said, noting the wristbands they distribute allow the sheriff’s office to track individuals who have wandered away from home.

The program has about 40 clients and 18 specially-trained deputies. The money will go toward funding more tracking devices or wristbands, Samaniego said.