LAUREL — The Montana State Firefighters Memorial, constructed in 2018, continues to pay tribute to firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty.
This weekend, the memorial will host events focused on honoring three more brave men and women whose names are now added to the wall.
See the memorial here:
"It's a space where we can recognize those firefighters who gave their lives in service to their communities,” said Brian Dennis, treasurer of the Montana State Firefighters Memorial.
As of this year, nearly 90 names are on the memorial walls, a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice made by firefighters across the state.
"It's very humbling," said Lynn Harper, a member of the Montana State Firefighters Memorial run committee.
Maintaining the privately funded memorial comes with significant costs, ranging from $15,000 to $20,000 annually. To support these efforts, there will be a 5K fun run on Friday, June 13 starting at 6 p.m.
“It's something we've been doing for the last number of years, and it's a hoot,” Dennis said.
On Saturday at noon, a memorial ceremony will be held to honor the names of three firefighters who died in the line of duty in recent years.
“One of them is a wildland firefighter from the Miles City community," Dennis said. "We have two aerial firefighters, a captain from the Montana Air National Guard who lost his life during firefighter firefighting operations, and then a pilot who lost her life last year, Julianne (Turchetti), who is from Brazil.”
Those three names added are David Lambers, John Raisler and Turchetti.
The memorial features various symbolic elements, including a circle with a diameter of 343 inches, representing the firefighters lost during the terrorist attacks in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001.
“We've raised thousands and thousands of dollars over the last 20 years to put this together,” Dennis said, emphasizing the importance of community support.
All proceeds from the fun run will benefit the Montana State Firefighters Memorial.
