White Bear Lake McDonald's Restaurants Step Up to Support White Bear Lake Police Officer Ryan Sheak

The Front Line Foundation Beyond the Call of Duty Fund was established to support first responders across Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Front Line Foundation (TFLF) announced today that it has partnered with two White Bear Lake McDonald's restaurants to further support the Beyond the Call of Duty Fund to assist White Bear Lake Police Officer Ryan Sheak, who was shot multiple times while on duty on January 24. In addition to serving as a first responder, Sheak is a current TFLF Board Member.

On Wednesday, February 15, 25 percent of all sales that take place from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. will be donated to support Officer Sheak and his family through the Beyond the Call of Duty Fund.

The participating McDonald's are located at 4950 Highway 61 (next to Rudy's) and 2070 County Road E East (near the high school) in White Bear Lake.

"This is just a small token of our respect for Officer Sheak and all of the police officers who protect our community on a daily basis," said Terry McBride, owner of the McDonald's located on Highway 61. "We feel this a way for the community to show its appreciation for one of our own."

Members of the White Bear Lake Police Department and the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department will be on hand to express their gratitude to customers.

"We are extremely proud to have two McDonald's restaurants in White Bear Lake stepping up to support Ryan," said Suzanne Holt, President, and CEO of TFLF. "Ryan is a great person, police officer and board member and we are humbled by the support he is being shown."

Since its inception in late 2018, The Front Line Foundation has supported Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, EMTs and members of the National Guard across Minnesota, to grant financial support to families of first responders who have died in the line of duty. The Foundation's mission is to bridge the gap between the death and benefits being paid, which can help families with ongoing expenses. The Foundation also provides support in the purchase of tactical equipment for first responders which is not included in department budgets. To date The Frontline Foundation has paid out $328,000 in death benefits and equipment funding since it was founded in 2018.

While all situations where a first responder is injured or killed in the line of duty are of utmost importance to TFLF, the fact that Officer Sheak is so entrenched in the way the Foundation gives back makes this call to action extremely important.

"You just never know when one of Minnesota's 60,000 first responders will be in need of support," said Holt. "What happened to our friend and colleague further emphasizes the need to look out for and support all of those men and women who work tirelessly to protect us."

Restaurant owners Courtney Henry and McBride are hoping by donating a portion of sales on February 15 residents will better understand the sacrifices all first responders make.

"We want to raise dollars to support this officer, but we also want to raise awareness," said McBride. "Often, we take our law enforcement officers for granted. We want to use this night as way to make sure people understand how lucky our community is to be protected by such great people."

To donate, go to https://donorbox.org/the-front-line-foundation and write "Ryan Sheak" in the comments when making your donation.

About The Front Line Foundation:
The Front Line Foundation began as an attempt to help and support our Fallen Heroes, including Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, EMTs, and the Minnesota National Guard. The Frontline Foundation provides support to those who died while in the line of duty, by giving benefit payments to dependents of fallen first responders. Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, and EMT First Responders face armed and dangerous criminals, impaired individuals wielding weapons, even emotionally charged, and threatening domestic disputes. They are The Front Line Defenders of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities who face and diffuse the high-risk, frequently appalling situations we know or hear about, with disbelief, on the news. In addition to providing endowments and support for the families of fallen heroes, The Front Line Foundation will underwrite scholarships and training registration costs for Front Line personnel as well as support preparedness training for safety officers in hospitals, schools, and places of worship. Further, we assist with the purchase of needed safety and tactical equipment not currently within the budget of the local unit of government. For more information, please visit http://www.thefrontlinemn.org.

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SOURCE Front Line Foundation