—Submitted photo Serving Our Servants group members Trisha Wisdom, left, and Kristen Ruppel are pictured above with Roary the Lion.

Serving Our Servants is embarking upon their first mission. SOS will be selling stuffed animals to benefit area organizations.

Roary the Lion stuffed animals can be purchased for $20 each. Individuals can then either keep the stuffed animal or donate it back to the SOS committee. Fifty percent of the Lions will go to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department and the other 50 percent will go to the Hamilton County DHS for foster children.

With the money made from the sale of the lions, the SOS group’s first mission is to buy at least one defibrillator for the Webster City Police Department. Their goal is to have at least one defibrillator in the shift captain’s car. If a larger amount of animals are sold, more defibrillators can be purchased.

“I would love to see every car, every police officer, have a defibrillator,” said SOS group member Kristen Ruppel. “That could not only save my life, it could save my dad’s, my neighbors… If this fundraiser gets really big and we sell a lot then we can get more than one.”

The fundraiser will go through Friday, Nov. 17.

“This is just a really good avenue to show our appreciation,” said Ruppel.

Anyone interested in purchasing a lion can contact Pastor Mark Eichler at 515-297-3477, Kristen Ruppel at 515-297-2917 or Trisha Wisdom at 515-227-3238. The organization also has a Facebook page at Hamilton County S.O.S (Serving Our Servants).

SOS’s mission is to show their appreciation for and support of county servants. The newly formed organization is focusing on supporting law enforcement, firefighters, first responders, DHS and city workers.

“This group allows an avenue for people to go through to show the police officers and fire fighters they’re appreciation, because if they get involved with SOS they’re going to be able to serve.”

“The SOS group is a group of Christian people who want to show their appreciation,” said Ruppel. ‘It’s not limited to any one church. It’s just a community organization.”

The organization’s next meeting will be held on Thursday, Oct. 26 at Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church in Webster City at 7 p.m.

“The church is graciously hosting us in allowing us to use their church for meetings,” Ruppel said.

There is also an SOS chapter in Webster County. SOS helps bridge the gap between the public and law enforcement. In the past the Webster County SOS group has bought lunches for the police department, brought pizzas to the city workers after a cleanup from a storm and they have even expanded to helping families of deployed soldiers.

“I encourage anyone who wants to show their appreciation to get involved. We would encourage anyone to join our group,” Ruppel said. “I think this group is going to expand and do really great things.”

Ruppel also noted that members of SOS would be more than willing to speak to local organizations and groups about their mission.