HUNTSVILLE – Nexstar Media Charitable Foundation has donated $15,000 in honor of Ivy Anderson to the Project Lifesaver initiative in Marshall County.

Nexstar is the corporate parent organization of WHNT News 19 and WHDF – The Valley’s CW. The memorial donation honors Ivy Anderson, a young reporter with WHNT who died suddenly in August 2019 shortly after reporting about Project Lifesaver’s mission and fundraising efforts.

WHNT held a commemorative ceremony to present the check and dedicate a space to Ivy’s memory on the station grounds, Lori Miller said. Miller, a Madison resident, is Director of Research for WHNT/WHDF.

Project Lifesaver helps law enforcement, first responders and caregivers to monitor and protect individuals with cognitive disorders who are prone to the life-threatening behavior of wandering. These individuals are equipped with transmitters that can easily track them if they wander off. The program is critically important for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Project Lifesaver is free, but the equipment is expensive. “The program is funded largely through public and charitable donations,” Miller said. “Project Lifesaver was highlighted in a local news story produced by WHNT-TV reporter Ivy Anderson that resulted in several new donations. Shortly after the story aired, Ms. Anderson suddenly and unexpectedly passed away.”

“Ivy was a bright, young, shining star in our newsroom, and her reporting on Project Lifesaver and the resulting donations enabled the local sheriff’s office to purchase four new transmitters and receivers for the program,” Stan Pylant said. Pylant is Vice President and General Manager of WHNT-TV/WHDF-TV.

“We miss Ivy every day, but we are incredibly proud to be making this donation to celebrate her life and the good work she did,” Pylant said. “Giving back to the communities served by Nexstar in 114 markets across the country is core to the company’s mission, and we are proud to make this donation on behalf of WHNT-TV/WHDF-TV, Nexstar Media Group and all of Nexstar’s 13,000 employees.”

Established in 1958, Nexstar Media Charitable Foundation’s mission is to contribute to public charities and non-profit organizations to improve its home communities.

For more information, visit nexstar.tv.