TERRE HAUTE —
Yummy baked goods and a raffle for gift baskets raised more than $1,000 for a memorial for fallen Terre Haute Police Officer Brent Long.
The cafeteria in Regional Hospital buzzed with activity Wednesday as hundreds of people stopped by bake sale tables to contribute to the memorial project.
“Considering we sold baked goods for 25 cents, we did well,” said Regional marketing director Beth Clark. “It was a fantastic day and shows how much people pull together and take care of each other.”
Long, who died July 11 in the line of duty, had worked a security detail at the southside hospital the day before he was fatally shot. Like many area police officers, he worked an off-duty security job.
“Regional is more than a hospital,” Clark said. “We’re a family, so his death was taken as something that affected the whole family.”
Nurse/patient educator Jena Schoffstall organized and oversaw Wednesday’s bake sale and raffle. She knows the pain of losing a member of her own family in the line of duty. Her son, Aaron Schoffstall, was a correctional officer at the Vigo County jail when he died in 2000 while helping a motorist.
“There’s a lot of team work, as you can see,” Schoffstall said as hospital staff volunteered to sell the baked goods and the raffle tickets.
“People made the baked goods and brought them in, and people put together the baskets. And we had baskets donated by Starbucks and Pickwick Candles. We also have a dog-themed basket in honor of Shadow, too.”
The idea for the fundraiser came after the successful sale of memorial wrist bracelets honoring Long. Officer Dan Armentrout asked Schoffstall to be the contact person for the fundraiser, and she knew that bake sales always seemed to do well at the hospital.
“We even had some people come in who were visiting in the hospital,” she said. “They stopped in and expressed their concerns for Brent and his family, and made donations.”
The funds raised will go for the bronze statue being commissioned by renowned local sculptor Bill Wolfe. The statute will feature Long and his K-9 partner Shadow, who also received a career-ending injury in the shooting.
THPD Chief John Plasse said fundraising for the statue is going well, with the goal set at $30,000.
“We are getting pretty close to it,” Plasse said Wednesday afternoon of the $30,000 mark. “I just thank everyone who has donated so far.”
The site for the memorial has not been determined. It might be near Memorial Stadium, where a portion of Brown Avenue has been identified as Officer Brent Long Memorial Way.
Plasse said that possible site would put the memorial in a highly visible location. And, any leftover funds could go toward a larger memorial site for all area emergency services personnel, he said.
Another part of Wednesday’s event was a free meal for all Terre Haute police officers to show appreciation for their service.
Detectives Charlie Burris and Farron Stevens were among those buying raffle tickets for the gift baskets.
Burris said he appreciates the continuing support he sees around the community for Long and his family.
Stevens also does security at the hospital, where the off-duty officers often work in the emergency room and other areas where needed.
“Just here to honor him,” Stevens said of his reason for attending the benefit. “Anything and everything we can do to honor him and help the family.”
Clark said it is likely there will be more fundraisers in the future.
“When we began selling the bracelets, people went wild for that. And people just wanted us to do more,” she said. “This didn’t affect [just] a few people, this was something the whole community felt. And it seems like we can’t do enough to say thank you.”
Lisa Trigg can be reached at (812) 231-4254 or lisa.trigg@tribstar.com.
Local & Bistate
Related Photos
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Tribune-Star/Rachel Keyes Doing my part: Detective Charlie Burress of the THPD stops by Regional Hospital today to buy a handful of raffle tickets to support the Brent Long memorial fund.
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Tribune-Star/Rachel Keyes Bracelets: A baskets of bracelets being sold to raise money for the Brent Long memorial fund.
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Tribune-Star/Rachel Keyes Raises funds: Jena Shoffstall talks about the bake sale/raffle held Wednesday at Terre Haute Regional Hospital in honor of fallen officer Brent Long. Proceeds will be donated to the Brent Long memorial fund.
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Tribune-Star/Rachel Keyes Doggy care prize: A doggy prize being raffled off at Regional Hospital as part of a fundraiser for the Brent Long memorial fund.
Discussion
Regional cooks up a fundraiser for officer
Hospital helps out ‘family’ with bake sale
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