Jim Cahill, is All About Serving and Protecting and Honoring Others Who Do The Same.

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The First Responders Foundation is honored to be inducting Jim Cahill into the Ancient Society of St. Florian and St. Michael at the 6th Annual 9/11 Luncheon of Honor on September 9, 2022. 

Jim Cahill has served in the armed forces and as a first responder and now spends much of his time honoring and respecting those groups and their families both on and off the job. The First Responders Foundation is proud to partner with Jim to fulfill the mission of the Foundation to serve and honor all our First Responders, Veterans and their families, build appreciation and respect for their work, and enhance public safety.

Jim served in the Air Force, as a Bellevue Police Office and is now Corporate Security Manager for NFM

Jim Cahill was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1980 he enlisted in the United States Air Force where he served during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Returning stateside Jim was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base.  After leaving the Air Force he joined the Bellevue, NE Police Department and served from 1994 – 1999.  Jim then began a career with Nebraska Furniture Mart where he is now NFM’s Corporate Security Manager overseeing security and loss prevention operations in all of their states.

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Congratulations to the Awards of Excellence 2022 Recipients!

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The First Responders Foundation is proud to announce the Awards of Excellence 2022 Recipients.

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected as recipients of the First Responders Foundation Awards of Excellence 2022.

We thank all of the outstanding students who applied for the award this year. The committee was impressed with the number of exceptional applicants.

The recipients represent families from the Bennington Police Department, Council Bluffs Fire Department, Eppley Airfield Fire Department, Gretna Fire Department, Omaha Police Department, Omaha Fire Department, Papillion Fire Department, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Springfield Volunteer Fire Department, and Waterloo Fire and Rescue Department.

Samuel Ahl – Louisville High School
Jocelyn Belcastro – Bellevue West High School
Jocelyn Ciara LeMaster  – Lewis Central High School
Makenzie Clymer – Millard South High School
Drew Georgius – Tri-Center High School
Sophie Goessling – Bellevue West High School
Caitlyn Haggstrom – Blair High School
Reilly Healey – Papillion-LaVista High School
Jack L Johnson – Gretna High School
Zachary Jones – Millard West High School
Mackenzie Kirby – Fremont Senior High School
Kendra Kuck – Underwood High School
Brady Lichty – Papillion-Lavista South H.S.
Maxwell McLaughlin – Creighton Preparatory School
Connor Neville – Ralston High School

Aiden NewMyer – Westside High School
Ethan NewMyer – Westside High School
Ellie Patera – Platteview High School
Charles Evan Sams – Gretna High School
Lili Shepoka – Papillion-Lavista High School
Brandon Siedlik – Westside High School
Keira Sterling – Papillion-LaVista High School
Gwyneth Stocker – Millard West High School
Samuel Stolinski – Gretna High School
Grace Weberg – Omaha Central High School
Liam Werner – Skutt Catholic High School
Faith White – Douglas County West H.S.
Danielle Witt – Elkhorn High School
Madison Wood – Tri-Center High School

Special thanks to the following donors who make this award possible:

Bob & Betsy Nelson
Chuck & Karen Sederstrom
Tim & Jonna Holland
Keith & Stephanie Basham
Susan Weir
Carol Stolp
Jim McGill

Corporate Donors

Nelson Murphy Insurance & Investments
Paul Davis Restoration
Farmers Insurance
Northwest Rotary Club of Omaha
NCAA Men’s College World Series

Honoring the Omaha Police Officers Association

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The First Responders Foundation is honored to be inducting the Omaha Police Officers Association into the Ancient Society of St. Florian and St. Michael at the 5th Annual 9/11 Luncheon of Honor on September 10, 2021. 

The Ancient Order of Saint Florian and Saint Michael is a society made up of members of the community who have provided long-term and exceptional service to first responders and their families through their enduring and exceptional acts of financial giving or acts of selfless volunteerism, and those who have made a great impact in the community.

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Honoring Omaha Professional Fire Fighters Association, IAFF 385

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The First Responders Foundation is honored to be inducting the Omaha Professional Fire Fighters Association, IAFF 385 into the Ancient Society of St. Florian and St. Michael at the 5th Annual 9/11 Luncheon of Honor on September 10, 2021. 

The Ancient Order of Saint Florian and Saint Michael is a society made up of members of the community who have provided long-term and exceptional service to first responders and their families, through their enduring and exceptional acts of financial giving or acts of selfless volunteerism, and those who have made a great impact in the community.

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Giving Back to the Community is Important to the Bremer’s

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The First Responders Foundation is honored to be inducting Debbie and Jeff Bremer into the Ancient Society of St. Florian and St. Michael at the 5th Annual 9/11 Luncheon of Honor on September 10, 2021. 

The Ancient Order of Saint Florian and Saint Michael is a society made up of members of the community who have provided long-term and exceptional service to first responders, veterans, and their families through their enduring and exceptional acts of financial giving or acts of selfless volunteerism. The Bremer’s have been extremely supportive of the Foundation for many years. Debbie serves on the Board of Directors and is currently Vice Chairman of the Board.

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Deputy Tony Ramaeker – Scheels Home Town Hero

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Congratulations to Deputy Tony Ramaeker! Scheels and American Heroes Outdoors have teamed up to capture and share stories of real heroes living in local communities. Officer Tony Ramaeker is a first responder at the Douglas County Sheriffs Office and is a local metro area hero. The First Responders Foundation is proud to announce that Deputy Ramaeker was recently named a Scheels Home Town Hero and was honored at the Scheels store at Village Pointe in Omaha on March 31st.

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2021 Awards of Excellence Recipients Announced

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The First Responders Foundation is proud to announce the Awards of Excellence 2021 Winners.

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected as recipients of the First Responders Foundation Awards of Excellence 2021.

We thank all of the outstanding students who applied for the award this year. The committee was impressed with the large number of exceptional applicants.

The recipients represent families from the Omaha Police Department, Omaha Fire Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Papillion Fire Department, Papillion Police Department, LaVista Police Department, Council Bluffs Police Department, and the Council Bluffs Fire Department.

Jordyn Bahl – Papillion LaVista High School
Mikayla Bossman – Gretna High School
Evyn Eblen – Treynor High School
Zailey Elkins – Papillion Lavista South High School
Braeden Haptonstall – Westside High School
Carter Hinman – Gretna High School
Whitney Holaday – CAM High School
Morgan Holtz – AHSTW Community School District
Wayne Dexter Hudson II – Millard North High School
Mason Ingram – Bellevue West High School
Alivia Jimenez – Bennington High School
Ashley Kelly – Burke High School
Carolyn Klein – Mercy High School
Jacob Martin – Logan-Magnolia High School
Emma McClannan – Millard South High School
Nathan McCoy – Millard North High School
Gage Elias Morrell – Papillion LaVista High School

Krista Olson – Treynor High School
Mia Olson – Millard West High School
Grace Oseka – Papillion LaVista South High School
Gracie Rock – Platteview High School
Cadence Russell – Millard South High School
Dylan Sash – Millard West High School
Sophia Schlapia – Papillion LaVista High School
Erin Schultz – Glenwood Senior High School
Cassidy Smith – Westside High School
Camille Streit – Daniel J. Gross Catholic High School
Nicholas M. Swanson – Creighton Prep
Paige Terry – Omaha Central High School
Delaney Waterman – Treynor High School
Grace Werner – Skutt Catholic High School
Jacob Whitney – Bishop Neumann Catholic High School
Jaylin Woodward – Glenwood Senior High School

Special thanks to the following donors who make this award possible:

Chuck & Karen Sederstrom
Bob & Betsy Nelson
Tim & Jonna Holland
Keith & Stephanie Basham
Al & Teri Batschelet
Art & Jenny Jetter
Carol Stolp
Susan Weir

Corporate Donors:
Northwest Rotary Club of Omaha
Farmers Insurance
NCAA Men’s College World Series

Appreciation Lunches for First Responders

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Over the past 11 years the First Responders Foundation has delivered over 10,000 lunches to thank our first responders to let them know how much we appreciate their dedication and commitment to the citizens of our community.  We call this effort ‘Appreciation Lunch Day’ and it happens the first week of June each year.  It is a huge task and we could not do it without our valuable partners and dedicated volunteers who make it all happen.

This year lunches were provided by Omaha Steaks, Chick-fil-A and Nebraska Furniture Mart.  Premier-Midwest Beverage provided the refrigerated trailer.

To get kids involved, every year we reach out to different schools to decorate lunch bags for us to put the lunches in for delivery.  The lunch bags highlight the impact that first responders have on our youth.  The pictures that the kids draw, and the messages of admiration and appreciation are inspiring.  We have been told by the first responders that this is one of the things they look forward to the most each year.  A special thanks to the students of Picotte, Joslyn, Ezra, Standing Bear and Sunny Slope Elementary Schools for decorating the lunch bags this year!

Volunteers assemble the lunches the night before delivery and the lunches are stored in a refrigerated trailer overnight and ready to go delivery morning.  The volunteer drivers deliver the lunches to Omaha Police Precincts and HQ and Omaha Fire stations and HQ.  This year we added Douglas County and even delivered to Council Bluffs Police HQ.  We have the best volunteers!

The 12th Annual Appreciation Lunch Day will be held on June 2nd, 2021.  If you are a business that would like to get involved or if you would like to volunteer for this great event, please send an email to contact@FirstRespondersFoundation.org.

Supportive Hands and Voices

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“It was hard to tell the difference between the fireworks in the neighborhood and the flashing lights of the approaching rescue squad.”

We had just finished dinner.  The kids were scrambling to find shoes and run outside for the start of sparklers and the highly anticipated fireworks.  It all changed in an instant.  I will never forget the cry from my sister’s voice, “Call 911, Devin’s having a seizure.”

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Appreciation

Aug 16, 2022

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