The Wounded Blue
Never Forgotten
Never Alone
By Daniel J. Curran
It all begins with a call for help.
Wounded in the line of duty, police officers need assistance badly. And now, in Oregon, it has arrived. The Wounded Blue organization
(https://thewoundedblue.org/), a national assistance and support organization for injured and disabled law enforcement officers has now established a presence in Oregon.
It’s mind-boggling even to ponder that a police officer can be injured in the line of duty and be cut off from future medical attention for either or both physical and emotional ailments, as well as losing their position. The Wounded Blue intends to make it easier for injured officers to seek and get the needed medical assistance for those wounded in Oregon, with an office soon to be opened in West Linn.
The entrance into the Oregon market was celebrated with two memorable evenings in Lake Oswego on Saturday, July 27, and Sunday, July 28. Included in the events were raffles for auction items, such as two Taylor Swift-signed acoustic guitars and a guitar to be signed personally over to the raffle winner by Tommy Thayer, a guitar player from the band Kiss. Other items in the raffle included a “Slash” guitar, a Conor McGregor UFC glove, and a 1980 Miracle US Olympic Hockey team jersey.
“The Lake Oswego community embraced The Wounded Blue in ways that truly touched me. Our police have faced such denigration in many communities that have demoralized them. Not this community. I wish I could clone Lake Oswego!” said Randy Sutton, founder of The Wounded Blue with 30-plus years of service.
Skip and Lynda O’Neill held the Saturday, July 27th event at their beautiful Lake Oswego home.
“There were out-of-town guests we thought would enjoy being on the lake. Zeph Shepard is known for his trade of Butchery and “meat” skills. His company is Proletariat Butchery. They did a fantastic Charcuterie large table with fresh, excellent food. It was a fun event with lots of positive energy. The Nate Botsford Band added fun, great songs, and dancing.” said Lynda O’Neill.
The July 28th Event was held in Lake Oswego’s Millenium Park Plaza from 4 pm – 8 pm and featured live music from the Portland Rock band Stim Pak, which energized the crowd with a fine blend of originals and cover music. Local food trucks provided reasonably priced food and drink.
The Wounded Blue is a donation-driven organization. Donations significantly impact the lives of injured officers by directly supporting the well-being of those who dedicated their lives to protecting their communities.
By donating, you’ll be directly contributing to the well-being and support of wounded officers. These brave individuals often face physical, emotional, and financial challenges resulting from injuries in the line of duty. Donations help wounded members with crucial assistance, including medical care, rehabilitation, counseling, and other essential services.
The Peer Support Advocate Program is helping fellow police officers at no cost heal from injury trauma suffered while in service to their communities. The PASB handles nearly 100 calls per week from officers seeking assistance.
The Peer Support Advocate Program offers team members, either on active duty or as former officers, many with disabling injuries, the ability to help The Wounded Blue members in a way other support groups cannot. They understand the environment and what the Wounded Blue member goes through on a daily basis.
- Whether a Wounded Blue needs 1:1 help or group support, the benefit of this program is that Wounded Blue programs allow for assistance due to generous donations from community members.
- Team members are professionally trained to handle law enforcement officers’ exclusive situations, and all calls maintain confidentiality.
- The Wounded Blue supports its officers through ongoing and developing programs and resources such as service dogs, retreats, and training.
- The Affordable Healthcare Act helps with the many challenges wounded officers face; however, it does not offer the vast array of services and support that the Wounded Blue organization provides.
Joanne Kantor is the Oregon contact for The Wounded Blue organization. She can be reached at (503) 913-8232 and JKantor@comforcare.com.
Donations make sound financial success, benefiting the community.
This is money put to good use.
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