GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)- Each year, the connecting with community partners recognize groups in west Michigan working together to make a difference.

Past award winners have included groups providing community service, health, education or safety projects- we’ve been able to highlight the great work they’re doing.

Last year’s winner, The School Emergency Response Coalition is making a huge difference in West Michigan: “SERC” is on a mission to save lives.

They go into schools and teach 9th graders how to respond to an emergency. The students learn CPR and how to operate an AED.

 SERC plans to donate an AED to a local school each month, for the rest of 2020! According to the Grand Rapids Fire Department’s captain,

The availability and the use of the AED is critical. When we’re talking about a cardiac arrest condition, the AED is the tool that is needed to resolve that negative problem.

Mark Fankauser

SERC founder, Kevin McGraw, says winning the Connecting with Community Award has helped spread awareness about how important it is for everyone to learn these life-saving skills.

Now we need to find this year’s winner!

If you know about a great partnership happening in West Michigan, let us know about it! It can be a group, or an individual, or a non-profit—just someone working hard to make a difference for all of us.

Click here to nominate them or visit:

https://www.woodtv.com/connecting-with-community-awards-nominations/#//

We are taking nominations until March 8th, then we will narrow it down to 8 finalists, with the winner announced in May.