Music At Madison...

 

Music At Madison Donates to Police Departments
By: Todd Coonce, Chief of Police

 

On February 19, 2005, Music at Madison held their Second Anniversary show at the Hubbard High School Auditorium.  With monies raised, Music at Madison donated two automatic external defibrillators (AED’s), one each to the Hubbard Township Police and the Hubbard City Police Departments.  In addition, Music at Madison made a donation in Dustin Keryan’s name to the Brain Tumor Center at Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center.  As Chief of Police for Hubbard Township, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the many people who made this possible.

 

First, I would like to thank my mother, Virginia Coonce.  Several years ago, she began her crusade to get AED’s for the township and city police departments after my daughter suffered a severe injury during a high school softball game.  She had several meetings with the school administrators who eventually purchased AED’s for the school district.  She continued her efforts to establish some type of fundraiser to purchase AED’s for both police departments.  Over the last few years, she received several different suggestions but nothing had materialized.

 

One evening, while reading the newspaper, she noticed an article about Mr. and Mrs. Keryan.  They were going to Youngstown State University to receive a diploma for their son, Dustin, who had majored in Criminal Justice, but had passed away from an inoperable brain tumor before graduation.  My mother thought that equipping the cruisers with AED’s would benefit the Hubbard community and would be a good way to remember Dustin, whose lifetime dream was to become a police officer.

 

My mother contacted the Keryans and introduced herself.  She told them that she read the article and that she felt that this was the perfect opportunity to do something in memory of Dustin and to reach her goal in obtaining AED’s for the police departments. 

 

After speaking with the Keryans, they agreed that having a fundraiser with the goal of buying AED’s to serve the community was a good way to keep Dustin’s memory alive.  My mother then contacted my brother, Rodd Coonce, co-founder of Music on Madison.  She shared her idea with him of having a music show in Hubbard to help her reach her goal.  He agreed, and the show was a success.

 

Also deserving a huge thank you are Rodd Coonce and Jack Peterson, founders of Music at Madison.  Without their talents and efforts, this would have not been possible.  I also wish to thank the family of Dustin Keryan; the fundraising committee for the countless hours they worked; all the local vendors who helped in one way or another; the Hubbard High School National Honor Society; and, of course, the community that came out and supported Music at Madison.

 

In addition to receiving an AED, both departments received plaques in memory of Dustin Keryan to display in their departments.  This makes the third AED for the Hubbard Township Police department; First Assembly of God Church donated the first AED.  An anonymous Hubbard resident, in response to the challenge issued by Pastor John Vrabel to raise funds to purchase more AED’s, donated a second AED to the Hubbard Township Police Department.

Click here to learn more about the importance of Automatic External Defibrillators (AED's).