Since 2018 The Front Line Foundation has contributed more than $500,000 in funding when the families of the fallen need support the most
MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Front Line Foundation (TFLF) announced today that it is giving a total of $60,000 in death benefits to the families of Burnsville Police Officers, Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, both 27 and Adam Finseth, 40, a firefighter and paramedic for the city who were all killed in the line duty on the morning of February 18 while reporting to a domestic violence and hostage crisis in the city.
Each of the three families will receive $20,000 in death benefits to support them prior to full death benefits being paid out. This payment comes at a time where grief is high and financial stress is the last thing families of the fallen need to endure.
Elmstrand was a five-year veteran of the Burnsville Police Department. He joined the department as a community service officer in 2017 and was promoted to an officer two years later. He served on the BPD mobile command staff, peer team, honor guard and field training unit.
Ruge joined the force in April 2020. He served as a physical evidence officer and was a member of the Department's crisis negotiations team.
Finseth had been a Burnsville firefighter and SWAT paramedic since February 2019. He was also an Army veteran who served in Iraq prior to becoming a first responder.
"This news is heartbreaking for our community," said Suzanne Holt, President and CEO of TFLF. "Paul, Matthew and Adam were everyday heroes performing a job they had a passion for. Our deepest sympathies and prayers go out to their families during this incredibly sad time."
Since its inception in late 2018, The Front Line Foundation has supported Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, EMTs and members of the National Guard across Minnesota, to grant financial support to families of first responders who have died in the line of duty. The Foundation's mission is to bridge the gap between the death and benefits being paid, which can help families with ongoing expenses. The Foundation also provides support in the purchase of tactical equipment for first responders which is not included in department budgets. To date The Front Line Foundation has paid out $510,000 in death benefits and equipment funding since it was founded in 2018.
To present families of fallen first responders with death benefits that make a meaningful impact, TFLF is continuing to raise funds to ensure when a tragedy occurs and takes the life of a Minnesota hero, they will be able to give as much support as possible. On Friday, February 23, TFLF will be the beneficiary of funds raised at the 8th annual Guns and Hoses Charity Hockey Game at the Blaine Super Rink.
"We are so grateful for the support we receive that allows us to always be there when tragedy strikes those on duty," said Holt. "We are humbled to do our part to protect the families of those who protect us."
Guns and Hoses Hockey Game At-A-Glance:
What: Centennial Youth Hockey Association Presents the 8th Annual Guns and Hoses Charity Hockey Game benefitting TFLF
Who: Local Law Enforcement Officers vs Fire Fighters in a regulation hockey game.
When: February 23, 2024 Centennial Youth Hockey game starts 445pm – Police vs Fire 6pm Where: Rink # 1 / Blaine Super Rink, 1850 150th St. NE, in Blaine, MN
Why: Fundraiser for Minnesota First Responders via The Front Line Foundation. To donate please visit http://www.gnhnow.com
About The Front Line Foundation: The Front Line Foundation began as an attempt to help and support our Fallen Heroes, including Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, EMTs, and the Minnesota National Guard. The Front Line Foundation provides support to those who died while in the line of duty, by giving benefit payments to dependents of fallen first responders. Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, and EMT First Responders face armed and dangerous criminals, impaired individuals wielding weapons, even emotionally charged, and threatening domestic disputes. They are The Front Line Defenders of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities who face and diffuse the high-risk, frequently appalling situations we know or hear about, with disbelief, on the news. In addition to providing endowments and support for the families of fallen heroes, The Front Line Foundation will underwrite scholarships and training registration costs for Front Line personnel as well as support preparedness training for safety officers in hospitals, schools, and places of worship. Further, we assist with the purchase of needed safety and tactical equipment not currently within the budget of the local unit of government. For more information, please visit http://www.thefrontlinemn.org
Media Contact
Robb Leer, Leer Communication & Consultants, 6127010608, robbl@leercommunication.com
SOURCE Front Line Foundation
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