Yesterday in Flowery Branch, Georgia, Knife Rights’ Chairman Doug Ritter honored a nineteen-year-old Logan Simmons, a Chick-Fil-A worker who used the pocket knife he was carrying on June 25 to save the life of a child choking in his seatbelt. The quick thinking young man climbed through the drive-through window of the restaurant and cut the choking six year old free.
"Logan Simmon's action to save a young child's life is a dramatic testimony to the value of always carrying a knife,” said Ritter, "You never know when your knife will be the difference between life and death; these situations cannot be foreseen, as Logan discovered.”
The Knife Right's Carry a Knife - Save a Life™ Award honors an individual who has used their Every Day Carry knife to save a life, demonstrating the practical advantages to always carrying a knife to be prepared for situations when a knife is invaluable, including saving lives.
"There are still places in America where the pocket knife Logan used would be illegal to carry,” Ritter said, "Knife Rights is committed to ensuring that law-abiding Americans can carry whatever knife they want to be prepared for whatever challenges they may have to meet without irrational restrictions that do nothing to stop criminal activity.”
Knife Rights Board Member Alan Romania, himself a first responder and Knife Rights board member, knows it’s unique for someone to step up to help "In a society where most are content to be a spectator with a video camera when someone is in trouble,” he said, "Logan chose to be something more. When he witnessed an emergency he was prepared with his every day carry knife. He had the right tool that day because he had the mindset to be prepared.”
Simmons said, "I am honored to receive this award from Knife Rights. I was pleased to find out there was an organization standing up for knife owners."
In addition, Logan was presented with a Life Membership in Knife Rights, a certificate inviting him to be Knife Rights' and BLADE Magazine's VIP Guest at next year's BLADE Show (the largest knife show in the world held June 5-7, 2020, at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta) and a certificate from W.A. Surls Knives and Pop's Knife Supply of Braselton, Georgia, for a Two-Day Knifemaking Experience where Logan will make his own custom knife from scratch with supplies provided by Pop's.
Artisan Cutlery, Bear & Son Cutlery, Brian Tighe & Friends, Doug Ritter/Knifeworks, ESEE Knives, Fiddleback Forge, Hogue Knives, KA-BAR Knives, Kizer Cutlery, Krudo Knives, Pro-Tech Knives, Rikeknife, Schrade, Spyderco, SOG Specialty Knives & Tools, Spartan Knives, Tops Knives and White River Knife & Tool all donated knives. Knifeworks donated laser engraving on many of them.
Knife Rights' and its supporters and followers are also contributing a minimum of $500 to the Logan Simmons Car Fund GoFundMe campaign to allow Logan to buy a car and enjoy the independence that comes with not having to rely on his mom, siblings and friends for transportation. Donate at: https://www.gofundme.com/logan-simmons-car-fund
Also attending the award ceremony was Sen. Bill Heath, Knife Rights' Georgia bills sponsor, and Sen. Butch Miller, representing the Chick-Fil-A's district.
Two of those bills enacted were in Georgia. In 2012 Knife Rights' signature Knife Law Preemption bill was enacted voiding dozens of local knife restrictions including Atlanta's, host of the BLADE Show, the largest knife show in the world, protecting attendees and exhibitors and preventing any future local restrictions more restrictive than state law. Preemption ensures everyone can expect consistent enforcement of state knife laws everywhere in a state. In 2017 the legal carry blade length of a knife without a CCW was increased from 5 inches to 12 inches.