Corporal Lucas Watts and Family Receive Donations from Non-Profit Serve and Connect

From L - R: (Back): Kim Dennis (holding Eli Watts), Sally Foster, Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw and Kassy Alia Ray. (Front - Sitting): Corporal Lucas Watts and Haley Watts.

(Walhalla, SC)-------------------------------------On Tuesday of this week, Corporal Lucas Watts and his family received funds collected in an account created last year by the non-profit organization Serve and Connect.

A check was presented to Corporal Watts and his family by Kassy Alia Ray, Ph.D., the founder of Serve and Connect, and by Kim Dennis, Director of Operations and Strategic Partnerships at Serve and Connect.  Also attending the presentation was Sally Foster, Executive Director of the South Carolina Sheriff’s Association.

“I want to thank everyone who made donations to Serve and Connect for Lucas and his family,” says Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw.  “I want to thank Kassy and Kim for their hard-work and efforts to set up this account for Lucas and we were happy that they could come to the Upstate yesterday, along with Sally, in order to make this presentation.  There have been other fundraising events and citizens who have made donations to Lucas and his family since Lucas was injured in the officer involved shooting last November 16th.  We are so very thankful to everyone for the outpouring of support and prayers for Lucas and his family.”

For privacy reasons, Sheriff Crenshaw says that the amount presented to Lucas and his family will not be released at the request of the family. 

In a news release that was issued by the Sheriff’s Office on November 17th of last year, Sheriff Crenshaw said that an account had been set up for Corporal Watts and his family through Serve and Connect.  

According to information available on their website, Serve and Connect was founded by Kassy after her husband, Officer Gregory Thomas Alia, was shot and killed in the line of duty as an officer with the Forest Acres Police Department in 2015.  According to their website, Serve and Connect is “a nonprofit organization focused on fostering positive change through sustainable police-community partnerships.” 

Back on Wednesday, July 17th, Lucas received the Deputy of the Year Award at the South Carolina Sheriff’s Association Annual Awards Banquet that was held in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Lucas’ brother Logan, who is an Agent for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, accepted the award on his behalf.

More information about Serve and Connect can be found on their website at https://www.serveandconnect.org/