Staff Writer

August 10, 2000, 10 p.m.

Some Pike County residents are doing their part to protect children.

The Pilot Club of Troy has taken on Project CHAD (Children Have An Identity) as their philanthropy.

The project is sponsored by the Travelers Protective Association of America and involves a sticker that can identify a child in the event of an accident.

Sgt. Benny Scarbrough, public information officer for the Troy Police Department, said the sticker, which includes the child’s name and other pertinent information, should be placed on the right corner of the child’s safety seat or the center back of the seat.

Project CHAD was started after a 13-month-old Illinois boy named Chad Bodine was injured in a 1992 accident in which his babysitter ­ the driver ­ was killed. Emergency personnel had no way to identify the baby.

It was only because an emergency room worker recognized the infant that the parents were able to be notified.

Now, the stickers are passed out around the United States so parents can make sure their children are identified in the event of an emergency.

The Troy Police Department is one of the local agencies working with the Pilot Club on the project and is pleased to participate, Scarbrough said.

Chief Anthony Everage said the CHAD Program is just "another means the Troy Police Department takes to ensure the safety of children who can’t speak for themselves."

CHAD stickers can be picked up at the police department and child health care facilities in the area.