Bert Bradford, left, receives the $18,000 check from Taylor Thomas on behalf of local legislators Wednesday, July 10, at the Athens Sportsplex.

Bert Bradford, director of cemetery, parks, recreation and building services for the City of Athens, received an $18,000 check Wednesday, July 10, for the purchase of replacement automated external defibrillators that will be installed in the Athens Sportsplex.

Bradford received the check from Taylor Thomas, executive director of the Limestone County Legislative Delegation, on behalf of Representatives Danny Crawford and Phillip Rigsby and Senators Larry Stutts and Tim Melson.

“This is life-saving money, and it is a fantastic use of our legislators’ money,” Bradford said. “We need the AEDs here, we service a lot of people, but the last thing we would ever want to do is use them.”

According to the request letter for the Limestone County Legislative Delegation Community Grant, the Athens Sportsplex, right off U.S. Highway 31, was in desperate need of new AEDs.

The letter, which was sent out in late-April, stated that the Sportsplex’s current AEDs were more than 8-years-old and not operating properly.

For a facility which averaged 3,000 users a day according to the request letter, faulty resuscitative equipment can be a serious hazard for the Athens Sportsplex and the droves of people who utilize the area.

“We have north of tens of thousands of people weekly, so this is very well needed,” Bradford said. “This money will allow us to have at least one AED next to every large event we host.”

The Sportsplex is home to multiple baseball and softball fields, a disc golf course, a playground, a soccer field and a swimming pool.

“Facilities like these host every single sporting event you could ever think of, so those AEDs will be available at all these events,” Thomas said. “These legislators truly try to do as much good as they can with the funds that they have, and when they see an opportunity like this they take it.”

The $18,000 will allow Bradford to purchase up to 10 new AEDs that will be put next to the popular sites, and even more places on the grounds, such as inside of the near 72,000 square-foot recreation center.

“They are an expensive piece of equipment, but not when you factor in what they can do for somebody in an emergency,” Bradford said. “The price is thrown out the window when you think of the life-saving possibilities of these AEDs. I can’t imagine a much better cause to give their money to, but I am very appreciative of them doing this for us.”