Law enforcement officer, family, benefit from a community thanksgiving

Twisp Police Chief Paul Budrow and his family were gifted an SUV and other items, donated by two anonymous donors who heard he is battling leukemia.

He and his wife, Aimee, have twelve children, six of them adopted out of foster care, with five school-aged children still living at home.

Chief Budrow, a former Okanogan County Sheriff, was in New York City on September 11, 2001, training law enforcement officers. He stayed to help at Ground Zero. It’s believed that his illness is tied to the service he provided 25 years ago.

The family’s biggest need was reliable transportation. Their vehicle wasn’t dependable enough to get Budrow to periodic medical care.

The vehicle, packed with donations from local businesses, and a line-up of first responders and community members, rolled into Chelan, Oct. 24 to greet Budrow and his family.

To set up the surprise, Beside the Line, an East Wenatchee organization that offers resources, support and financial help to families of law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services professionals, brought the family to Chelan for the weekend.

Aimee and three of the couple’s children arrived for a community benefit for the family, hosted by Tipsy Canyon Winery in Manson. Paul and another of their children joined them for a weekend stay in Chelan. On Saturday, first responders lined up at the Lake Chelan Community Center, and rolled out in a light-show procession, to present the family with the keys to their new vehicle.

First responders from across the region took part, including the Wenatchee Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, Chelan County Behavioral Health Unit, East Cascade Regional SWAT, Chelan Fire & Rescue, Lake Chelan Health EMS, and Chelan County Volunteer Search & Rescue.

Local businesses made the weekend possible. Lakeside Chelanigans donated the family’s vacation rental, and The Vine Coffee gave them a completely open tab for the whole weekend. Slide Waters donated time on its ropes course, the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce donated Chamber Bucks so the family could shop locally, Chelan Toys & Sweets treated everyone to something sweet, and Tapped Out Sports Bar & Pool Hall gave a gift card for family meals.

The Expedition was filled with items to make the road ahead easier, including car care supplies, and tire chains. Those donations came from Walmart, Les Schwab Tire Centers, Cascade Mountain Medicine, BlueBridge, Costco, Weinstein Beverage, and community members across the region.

More than a year after applying, the family is still waiting on federal benefits through the World Trade Center Health Program, a program created to care for 9/11 responders.

“This family has been waiting more than a year for support that should have already been there. We can’t fix that, but we could make sure they had a safe way to get Paul to treatment this winter. The response from local businesses and first responders was overwhelming,” said Laura Criss, Vice President of Beside the Line.

Criss said the Budrows worried that accepting help meant taking it away from another family who needed it more. “First responder families are notorious for that mindset. They spend their lives taking care of everyone else, and they don’t know how to be on the receiving end. That’s exactly why we’re here.”

Learn more about Beside the Line here.