JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
Travis Layne, a resident of Marion County and also leading founder of the “A Voice for the Voiceless” project, recently expressed his appreciation to the Board of Mayor & Aldermen in Powells Crossroads for their purchase of a communication board.
The communication board, a device used for those verbally impaired or non-verbal, is to be installed at Crossroads Park, where children who are verbally impaired can use it to communicate with friends or loved ones while using the local playground. Layne thanked both the city and park boards for their support and purchase of the communication board, acknowledging how the community’s support has further helped the Layne’s vision of helping children in need become a reality.
“Even if one child uses this board, it is worth it in the end,” said Layne.
The Layne’s project has received much support from across all major communities within the county, with each community’s governing body sharing their support towards the family’s mission of establishing communication boards throughout all local parks and schools. The county commission as well as the board of education have additionally shared support towards the project, with the board of education purchasing signs for all school playgrounds across the county.
When asked by Alderman Larry Higdon if Travis has plans to further expand the project into neighboring counties, Travis explained he has recently emailed Mayor Dwain Land of Dunlap in Sequatchie County to discuss the city purchasing communication boards for Dunlap’s local parks. He also mentioned how he’s in the works of expanding the project further outside county lines, with him planning to reach out and speak with state officials in the hopes of communication boards being installed statewide.