Project Exile has been a large part of Camp Good Days’ community initiatives for as long as many staff members can remember, with 2023 marking the 25^th year that Gary Mervis has acted as Chairmen to the Project Exile Advisory Board. To celebrate this momentous milestone, Agent Mike Curran presented Gary Mervis with an award for the 25 years of service that he has given to Project Exile on behalf of the ATF & RPD Violent Crime Taskforce.

Project Exile was brought to Rochester in 1998 with the goal of reducing gun violence in response to surging homicide rates in the area. In areas where Project Exile is present, offenders that have been convicted of possessing an illegal weapon can be exiled from the community and put into a federal prison to serve their sentence. The Project Exile Advisory Board is comprised of state, local, and federal law enforcement, community program directors, and local and federal prosecutors. They meet once a month to discuss and plan how to fight against the rising gun violence throughout the Rochester area.

When Project Exile was first brought to the Rochester area, Mr. Mervis was asked to step in and act as the Chairmen to the Advisory Board. With a passion for keeping the children in our community safe, Mervis accepted the opportunity and has been serving on the board ever since.

“Thank you so much to Mike Curran and everyone in the Violent Crim Taskforce that helped me celebrate this milestone. I am blessed to be a part of Project Exile and look forward to continuing to fight the gun violence in our communities,” says Mervis.