Hi, my name is Alex, and I’m raising funds for someone who means the world to me, my best friend and chosen dad, BJ Freitag.

In late March 2025, BJ received news no one should ever have to hear: Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. It’s already spread to his lungs and liver. It’s aggressive. It’s cruel. And it’s trying to steal someone who has spent his whole life giving everything he has to others.

BJ is a builder. Not just of buildings, but of community, connection, and care. A lifelong carpenter and proud union member of Local 98/59 since 2002, BJ’s hands have shaped Spokane: Sacred Heart’s Children’s and Women’s Hospital additions, Riverpark Square, the Kroc Center, Upriver Falls Condos, and his favorite concrete job at Kaiser Aluminum. If you’ve walked these streets, chances are you’ve passed something BJ built with pride.

But BJ’s real legacy is in people.

He’s shown up for everyone. For his fellow tradespeople, for struggling neighbors, for friends who became family. He’s helped small businesses get off the ground. He’s built home ramps for disabled neighbors. He converted vans during the pandemic so folks could travel safely for work (he converted my RV, so I had somewhere to live during the pandemic). He mentored the next generation, especially those who didn’t always feel like they belonged in the trades and supported the founding of Spokane Tradeswomen.

He gave blood for years. He gave his time. He gave his heart. And now, cancer is trying to take it all away.

What BJ wants more than anything is time - time with his grandkids, Harper, Bailey, Evelyn, and Coraline. Time to make memories. Time to hold hands, tell stories, and feel the sunshine.

We’re asking for your help to give BJ that time.

Every dollar will go toward easing the crushing financial weight of cancer. Covering treatment, transportation, and daily expenses, so BJ can focus on what matters most: love, laughter, and being surrounded by the people who adore him.

And if you can’t give financially, please consider donating blood or platelets through Vitalant. BJ did for years, until he no longer could.

Let’s do for BJ what he’s done for so many. Let’s show up. Let’s give back. Let’s give him time.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring.