On August 5, 2026, what started as an ordinary night of bingo changed the lives of so many people forever.

During bingo, Bruce suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and collapsed on the floor. What happened next was nothing short of incredible. People who had come together for a night of bingo immediately jumped into action. Nurses, firefighters, EMT-trained individuals, and other good Samaritans worked together, performing CPR and using a defibrillator to give Bruce a chance.

One of those people was Austin, who had received EMT training through Blue Mountain High School. The skills he learned as a student became skills he was able to put into action when someone desperately needed help.

That night, strangers became rescuers.

And over the weeks that followed, something even more beautiful happened.

We became family.

Bruce fought incredibly hard. His wife, Bev, never left his side. Their daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren, our firehouse family, and so many people from our community continued to hope, pray, and stand beside them.

On August 24, Bruce passed away peacefully in the early morning hours with Bev by his side.

While our hearts are broken for Bev and her family, we are also incredibly grateful for the time they were given together after that night.

Those weeks mattered.

The conversations mattered.
The visits mattered.
The memories mattered.
The extra time with the people they loved mattered.

And none of us will ever forget that an ordinary night at bingo brought all of us together.

The photo we’ve chosen for this fundraiser was taken on August 24. It includes Bev, her daughters, their husbands, her grandchildren, and the people who were strangers to them just weeks earlier but are now proudly part of their family.

This is what your kindness created.

Now, it is our turn to surround Bev.

Losing someone you love is devastating on its own. Having to worry about the financial burden that comes with that loss can make an already unimaginable time even harder.

This fundraiser is now dedicated to helping Bev and her family with the expenses and challenges ahead as they navigate life without Bruce.

If you have already donated, shared, prayed, checked on the family, or simply followed Bruce’s story, thank you. Your kindness has meant more than you know.

If you haven’t been able to donate, sharing this fundraiser is an incredible way to help.

Let’s continue to show Bev that she is not alone.

The same community that came together to fight for Bruce that night can now come together to help carry Bev through what comes next.

For Bruce. For Bev. For their family. And for the family that was unexpectedly created on a bingo floor. ❤️

Thank you for standing with them.