BY MICHAEL J. CAYLOR JR.
CONTRIBUTOR
On Monday, Feb. 21, 2022, Tim and Danielle Kurtz met with Chief Corey Bennett at the Merrill Police Department to discuss what they thought would be the details of an upcoming benefit. The benefit, which is being held on March 5 at the Northwoods Veterans Post in Merrill, will benefit the Merrill Police Department Benevolent Association and a local conversation project.
However, that was actually the last thing on Chief Bennett’s mind as he led the Kurtz’s to the City Council chambers. There, members of the Wausau Firefighters Charities were waiting with a big surprise.
Valerie Caylor, a paramedic with LifeLink III air medical, introduced the group to the Kurtz’s. She explained how she and fellow LifeLink III paramedic, Matt Tormohlen, had been discussing the Kurtz family and the untimely early January death of their son, Riley, at the age of 24, and that Riley had been an active member of the Merrill Police Department. Matt, formerly a firefighter paramedic with the Wausau Fire Department, told Valerie he was still a member of the Department’s charity group – Wausau Firefighters Charities – and thought Riley’s family would be eligible for a charitable gift. Caylor reached out to Det. Sgt. Logan Lange, a former co-worker and friend of Riley’s, asking him to write a letter to the charity to explain the loss the family was experiencing. And that led up to the Feb. 21 surprise announcement.
After careful consideration, Wausau Firefighters Charities, which was formed by the Wausau Firefighters Local 415, selected the Kurtz family for an all-expense paid, 11-day vacation to Alaska. There, the family will spend six nights on the Kenai River in Coopers Landing, Alaska. They will take the Bridal Veil Waterfall kayak tour and experience its beautiful ghost forest and the breathtaking Bridal Veil Waterfall. The trip also includes a boat tour of the icy blue waters of Resurrection Bay along with its glaciers, snow capped mountains, and dramatic cliffs. The trip will include plenty of time to fish, and the last few days in the Last Frontier will culminate with a guided fishing trip for large Alaska salmon with Coopers Landing fishing guides.
Wausau Firefighter Corey Parsch told the Kurtz family that when they learned of Riley’s deep affection for hunting and fishing, they felt this trip was ideal for them. Wausau Firefighters Charities awarded the first such trip to the family of Det. Jason Weiland from the Everest Metro Police Department, who died in the line of duty in 2017. Parsch said the charity feels that no matter how an emergency responder passes, deaths such as Riley’s affect everyone. The purpose of the vacation is to provide downtime for the family so they may reflect on the loss of their loved one and the memories of the time they had together.
Tim Kurtz said a vacation to Alaska was a dream he never thought he would see, but now he will be able to enjoy it with his family, knowing that Riley will be watching over every cast they make.