by Jewell Cardwell

Fran Doll of Bath Township formed a volunteer group to mobilize in case of a missing child alert.

Fran Doll of Bath Township has never been able to let the image of the innocent little girl in the pink floppy hat out of her head. Nor the sex predator responsible for 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford’s death last spring.

As saddened as she is about that gruesome Florida crime, Doll didn’t allow herself to be paralyzed.

Rather, the retired business entrepreneur (Superior Staffing) and cancer survivor recently vaulted into serious action, creating a volunteer group of grandparents, like herself, to mobilize in the face of an Amber Alert in their area.

Doll’s project - still very much in its infantcy - is being called Grandparents Against Sex Predators (GASP) and is evolving into something that will be national in scope.

Doll, who has already been contacted by America’s Most Wanted TV show, said she “prayed about this for a long time.”

Encouraged by family and friends, she has recruited a team of volunteers that stretches from New York to Texas.

“If each person recruited 10 others, only imagne the network we would have,” Doll suggested. “Churches have members that cover the whole city. Workplaces cover the whole city. Recruiting possibilities are broad.”

Recently retired Roger Beal of Stow is lending his computer expersite to the venture.

Doll said Medina County Sheriff Neil Hassinger has already offered to help train volunteers who could do some of the out-of-harm’s way legwork during an Amber Alert.

Of course, all of the volunteers would need to go through a background check. All of those detail are still being hammered out.

Interested in being part of the GASP posse, helping with grant writing, fundraising? Input from retired police officers would be greatly appreciated.

Your thoughts are welcome at grandparentsagainstsexpredators@adelphia.net or call 330-247-1402. Do it for Jessica and others who have befallen a similar fate.