Nonprofit aims to help families of fallen cops

Following the death of a Broadwater County sheriff’s deputy in May, officials are scheduled to launch a new fund to help families of officers killed in the line of duty.

The Montana Guardian Fund is a nonprofit organization aiming to help alleviate the financial burden left on law enforcement families in the wake of their loss.

“Money cannot replace a family’s loved one, but it can help alleviate financial worry,” said Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry. “We want to make it easier for Montanans to help take care of their own.”

One of its first acts as a new nonprofit was a $15,000 donation to the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association. The Montana Guardian Fund plans to generate $2 million over the next year for aid for any future catastrophe.

Compared with online fundraising sites that sometimes keep up to 9 percent of donations for processing fees, 97 cents of every dollar donated to The Montana Guardian Fund goes directly to families of fallen or injured officers.

The fund will be launching its first campaign June 13. Their first kickoff event will take place June 14 at the Radisson Colonial Hotel in Helena.

Donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 1182, Miles City, MT 59301, and the option to donate online at http://montanaguardianfund.org will be available soon. Donations are tax-deductible.

For more information, visit http://montanaguardianfund.org.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.