Care for special needs children and underserved children earned Sheriff’s SRO Sgt. Dustin Cox the Jerry Anderson Hero Award Saturday from the NAACP-Murfreesboro Branch.
He received the award during the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast Celebration at MTSU.
As a school resource officer, Cox has spearheaded the SRO Division’s mission to serve Rutherford County Schools’ special needs children, elementary school children who need Christmas presents and middle and high school students who need back-to-school clothes.
Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said Cox and the SROs go beyond the core duties of protecting, mentoring and teaching students.
“Sgt. Cox truly has a heart and compassion for improving the lives of students,” Fitzhugh said. “He raises funds for a field trip for special needs students and coordinates the Shop with the Sheriff event to make sure elementary school students have Christmas presents. He ensures middle and high schools students have back-to-school clothes.”
The award is named for Murfreesboro resident Jerry Anderson, who sacrificed his life saving boys Brad Logsdon and Josh McFarland from drowning in 1989 in the Stones River off Warrior Drive.
Anderson played football at Central High School, the University of Oklahoma’s championship team in 1975 and the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
For several years, Cox worked tirelessly behind the scenes to raise about $35,000 to improve the lives of children.
Cox organizes an annual fall golf tournament, secures sponsors and enlists players. He seeks priceless items for the accompanying silent auction, including guitars from country music entertainers and an autographed football and jersey from NFL Super Bowl quarterback Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The proceeds of the tournament are used to sponsor a Spring SRO Fun Fair for special needs students in Rutherford County Schools. The students participate in games, a petting zoo, a
magic show and other fun activities during a field trip geared just for them.
Cox coordinates the annual Shop with a Sheriff fundraiser at three Toot’s restaurants with donations used to take about 35 children Christmas shopping. The extensive coordination includes staffing the shopping event with SROs and volunteers and providing breakfast to the children by obtaining food donations.
He initiated an annual cornhole tournament with proceeds used to buy school clothes for students.
Cox’s reward is watching the sheer joy on the students’ faces.
