the
100
club
Honoring responders and helping victims
JAMIE HITTI
Reporter
The impact of tragedy on a community can be quick and difficult to deal with. The impact of tragedy on a family can be devastating. In these cases, the 100 Club is organized to relieve the pain and difficulties that come along with any disaster and devastation that first responder families may suffer from. “In 1974, we had a fire downtown, where the mall is today. During that fire, we lost a fireman and a police officer,” explained current President of the 100 Club Jerry Martinez, “And there were no funds set up to help first responders. So, a local guy went out and just started walking around the streets and just started raising money,” said Martinez. The fire in the mall 46 years ago encouraged people like Martinez to start raising money to help people dealing with tragedies like this one. After many years of growth and dedication, the 100 Club now provides many services to families, including donating money, moral support, organizational help and more. 100 Club member Geno Trujillo said, “It is all about supporting the community, supporting the people who support us.” The 100 Club is valuable because, as member Greg Behn states, in community, it’s important “to support officers that put themselves at risk for our town.” Appreciation and sympathy from members of the community can have a large impact on families in need. A consistent support team is exactly what we need when it comes to tragedy. Consistency is the key when it comes to support. Geno Trujillo exclaims, “I’ve been a part of the 100 Club for five years,” and plans on being a member for much longer. “The last major incident we had was 8 years ago, a plane went down in Cherry Creek and we had a fight for life, but the accident killed three responders,” Martinez says. “What’s nice about having this money in the bank is that within 24 hours, we write their families a check for $20,000.” The checks that these families receive take care of the costs such as funerals and insurance. “It’s important for them to know they have support,” Martinez references first responding families. Law enforcement member Ed Aber says the 100 Club is about having “a culture of appreciation for service.” Aber’s take on getting the youth involved is that it comes with age. Getting involved with the community “is something that comes with age and maturity. So it’s hard to make that direct connection early on, and as young people grow they start to appreciate more things around them” Aber says. Youth getting more involved in the 100 Club would ensure an even bigger and brighter future. Though the 100 Club is a well-known thing among first responding families, it isn’t as familiar to other members of our community. There are many ways of getting people involved in the community, and supporting the 100 Club is one of them. “We need to go to the roots! Speak up and let our children know how important community is,” Geno Trujillo says. Leading by example is Trujillo’s solution to getting more youth involved within nonprofit community club such as this one.
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6 Feb. 2020
NEWS
