Tragedy Strikes Five Years Ago for Granite Mountain Hotshots, Their Families & Friends and The City of Prescott Arizona

PRESCOTT, Ariz., June 22, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Five (5) years ago on June 30, 2013, 20 brave firefighters from the Granite Mountain Hotshot Crew joined other crews in fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona. The conditions favored the fire that day and, at approximately 4:48PM, disaster struck. Eric Marsh, along with all but one member of his crew, became trapped by the fire and had to deploy. The Granite Mountain Yarnell fire tragedy is one of the deadliest forest fires in U.S. history (and the deadliest in Arizona). The tragedy was memorialized in a movie titled Only The Brave, released by Sony Pictures in October 2017, starring Josh Brolin and Jennifer Connelly.

Here are all names of the fallen that day: Andrew Ashcraft, Robert Caldwell, Travis Carter, Dustin Deford, Christopher Mackenzie, Eric Marsh, Grant Mckee, Sean Misner, Scott Norris, Wade Parker, John Percin Jr., Anthony Rose, Jesse Steed, Joe Thurston, Travis Turbyfill, William Warneke, Clayton Whitted, Kevin Woyjeck and Garret Zuppiger.

After processing her own grief, Amanda Marsh founded The Eric Marsh Foundation. The Foundation's Mission is to assist Wildland Firefighters and their firefighting families with line of duty tragedy and PTSD.

In the words of Amanda Marsh, "The Eric Marsh Foundation for Wildland Firefighters was created after the Yarnell Hill Fire (6-30-13), which claimed the lives of 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots, including my husband, Eric Marsh. Eric was the Superintendent of the crew. His death and the death of all 19 men caused a cyclone of grief, emotion, devastation, ruination, soul crushing, life altering and Phoenix creating experiences that have culminated in the creation and the evolution of the Eric Marsh Foundation."

In addition to emotional hardship, dependents of fallen or injured firefighters very often undergo severe financial hardship following the death or injury to a firefighting loved on. Further, although legal dependents may receive death and other benefits, the payment of these payments can take up to six (6) months. This is where The Eric Marsh Foundation comes in. The foundation provides financial, emotional and other support during this interim period to assist the loved ones in dealing with the shock and processing their grief.

How Can You Help?

The Eric Marsh foundation desperately needs your help to deliver on our mission. In many cases, your employer may offer matching gifts to double, or even triple, the impact of your donation and we can help you with the necessary paperwork.

You Can Help Us in One of Two Ways:

1. Purchase merchandise from our store
(http://www.ericmarshfoundation.org) the proceeds of which to date have funded our overhead costs for our 501c3 thus enabling us to deploy 100% of donated funds to the dependents.

2. Make a direct donation either here or via our GoFundMe page (by copying and pasting this link into your browser) https://www.gofundme.com/the-eric-marsh-foundation .

Again, your donation may be matched by your employer thus multiplying the impact of your donation. June 30th marks the 5 Year Anniversary of the tragedy that claimed the lives of 19 City of Prescott Arizona firefighters that were part of the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew in the Yarnell Hill Forest Fire.

Fundraising strategy support is being donated by Joseph Ferraro, former CEO of Crowdster (http://www.crowdster.com), a fundraising software platform for non-profit organizations. According to Joe, "When I saw the movie in October, I was immediately and deeply TOUCHED & INSPIRED by the character and heroism of all 20 firefighters. I knew I wanted to do something to help. So, when Amanda Marsh and Dylan Howard reached out to me in February, I knew it was divine intervention."

Contact Author
AMANDA MARSH
The Eric Marsh Foundation
928-227-0744
Email: EricMarshFoundation(at)Gmail.com

JOSEPH J FERRARO
Former CEO, Crowdster
2013164600
Email: joe.ferraro(at)crowdster.com

VISIT WEBSITE

"The death of Eric and his crew caused a cyclone of grief, emotion, devastation, ruination, soul crushing, life altering and Phoenix creating experiences that have culminated in the creation and the evolution of the Eric Marsh Foundation."

Amanda Marsh

PLEASE HONOR FALLEN AND INJURED FIRE FIGHTERS BY SUPPORTING THEIR DEPENDENTS THROUGH THE ERIC MARSH FOUNDATION!
Eric lived his life by his favorite credo: ESSE QUAM VIDERI - "To Be, Rather Than to Seem". Please help us continue his legacy by doing the same.

A personal note from Amanda Marsh

Once I was able to look outside my cave of grief following the death of Eric and his crew, I began to see how many people were in the same situation as me from tragedies on the fire line that occurred after the Yarnell Hill Fire. I wanted to create something to help these people; something that would bolster people's hearts and let them know that they are seen, loved and that their fallen wildland firefighter is always remembered and always honored. That was the very first glimmer of the Eric Marsh Foundation. I wanted to help families like my own.

Very simply, these men and women, and their families by extension, DESERVE our Love and Financial support. Eric created the Arizona Wildfire and Incident Management Academy in his living room and taught s130/190 classes with P.J. Lingley (Bear Jaw IHC) for many years. He was passionate about teaching this special c class because he wanted to interact with young men and women embarking on their wildfire careers. Because of his dedication to this special c class, we give scholarships to both the Arizona Wildfire and Incident Management Academy and the Colorado Wildfire and Incident Management Academy for s130/190.

The Eric Marsh Foundation for Wildland Fireghters continues to evolve. The need inside the wildland fire service is huge and it is our honor and commitment to serve our wildfire family from now until long into the future.

With love and blessings,

Amanda Marsh

SOURCE The Eric Marsh Foundation