Superstition Springs Golf Course

6542 East Baseline Road Mesa, AZ 85206

(480) 830-8198

For more information contact: Stacey Dillon

oaf@officerassistancefund.com

Blue Santa and the Kelly Family

Liz Kelly and her five children are celebrating their first Christmas without their hero – Mesa police officer Mark Kelly. Mark lost his life earlier this year to Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. On December 23rd, a Blue Santa and Mesa Police Officers will try to make the holidays special for the grieving family. Christmas dinner and gifts will be provided to the Kelly’s at Target in Mesa.

“Mark Kelly’s police family and the community will always make sure their needs are met and the holidays are special,” states Sgt. Ryan Russell of the Officer Assistance Fund. “The public genuinely cares about the Kelly family because we all mourned his loss. He truly has become a heroic icon in Mesa.”

Donations for the Kelly family are being accepted at any Wells Fargo branch (Mesa Police Association Officer Assistance Fund Account) or can be mailed to the Officer Assistance Fund, 123 N. Centennial Way #207, Mesa, AZ 85201.

About the Officer Assistance Fund: Founded in 2000, the Officer Assistance Fund (OAF) is a non-profit that financially assists Arizona police officers when they have been injured or killed in the line of duty. A Blue Santa visits a fallen officer’s family yearly by presenting gifts to the family. More information, who to make a donation and events can be found at www.officerassistancefund.com.

READ THE EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE ARTICLE HERE: Mesa Officers Bring Cheer to Fallen Officer’s Family

MSNBC ARTICLE: Mesa Officers Bring Cheer to Fallen Officer’s Family

Mark Kelly and his daughter, Elizabeth

“The Mesa Police Department and our membership lost a well-respected Police Officer, brother and hero. Since Mark found out he had ALS, he graciously opened up his life and educated us about Lou Gehrig’s disease. There is no doubt a great number of people are grieving his loss. It has been astounding how our agency, city employees and the public came together to aid him and his family. The Mesa Police Association asks for the public’s continued support of the Kelly family and all Mesa Police Officers, as the upcoming weeks and months will be difficult.” – Sgt. Ryan Russell, President of the Mesa Police Association

Donations to the Kelly family can be made through the Mesa Police Association’s Officer Assistance Fund. 100% of the donations go directly to the Kelly family and are tax deductible.

READ THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC ARTICLE HERE

READ THE EV TRIBUNE ARTICLE HERE

This week has been a difficult one for Mark. He has an infection that he has been fighting and a lot of abdominal pain. Liz is keeping him as comfortable as possible with medications. Some of the drugs will cause him to not be alert enough to effectively communicate with his computer.

Mark can no longer blink on demand, so his “eye gaze” technology has had to take over. He gazes at a phrase or letter to let us know what he needs. The computer will sometimes put up things that he does not want, so we have to wait for him to activate the “speak” part of the screen in order to know what he needs.

This morning Mark called all of us together. I had written him a letter last night to make sure that I expressed all the feelings of my heart to him. I just wanted him to know the thoughts of my heart and how fortunate I have been to be his mother. He asked Liz to read the letter to his family as we were all gathered together. After the letter was read, Mark’s brothers and sisters and his Dad all expressed the feelings of their hearts and the great love that they shared for him. Needless to say, it was an emotional time with many tears shed by all of us, including Mark.

Mark clenches his teeth together and so Liz has not been able to suction him adequately. He has bitten up the insides of his mouth, tongue and lips. This is all involuntary and we are trying to keep this from happening by the use of medications etc. His lung capacity is weakening also, just as we knew it would from the progression of the disease. We have had many anxious moments this week as we have tried to calm him when he cannot breathe.

Mark is fighting this disease with all he has in him. This is what he has always been, a fighter to the end. He has always had the “never give up” mentality.

This is why he has achieved so much in his life. He has kept at it until the task was accomplished.

We do not know how much time he has left. He could go on for a few more months or it could be a matter of days. It is in the Lord’s hands now.

If you would like to send him a message, you can email Liz or put it on his facebook page. You could also just send a reply to this email and I will read the messages to him.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support through this journey with Mark. We love you all and feel your love in return to us, Feel free to forward this message to whoever you think would be interested.

Much love, Carla Kelly

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July 12th, 2011

Texas Roadhouse – Stapley and the US 60

Mesa, AZ

5:00pm – 9:30pm

Volunteers: Email Jeff Silva at jsilva310@yahoo.com

All donations are tax deductible. If you cannot attend, donations can be made through any Wells Fargo bank.

With your help, we wish to expand the Blue Santa program to more police families struck by a tragic loss. Donate to “The MPA Officer Assistance Fund” at any Wells Fargo Branch.

The First Annual “Wings of Hope” Celebrity Golf Tournament

The 1st Annual “Wings of Hope” Celebrity Golf Tournament was a huge success, raising over $5,000 for the Officers Assistance Fund.  The event took place September 13th at Augusta Golf Ranch.

All proceeds benefited the Officers Assistance Fund (OAF). The O.A.F.
was designed to alleviate the financial strain that officers and their
families face after a work related injury. O.A.F. is a community-based
nonprofit foundation that supports officers and family members of
officers injured in the line of duty.  Part of this money will be used for this year’s “Blue Santa” program, where the OAF Santa visits a family of a fallen officer.

For pictures from the event, go to- www.memories4lifeonline.com.

To donate directly, you can go to any Wells Fargo or send money directly to:

Operation Blue Santa was designed to bring cheer to children of fallen peace officers. Mesa Police Department has been blessed not to have to endure a loss recently; however, it is the funds purpose to help others in need. Proceeds were raised for this event from the MPA Officer Assistance Fund (O.A.F.).

MPA’s BLUE Santa made a stop Friday, December 21st, 2007 to celebrate the bravery of the late Sergeant Tate Allen Lynch of the Casa Grande Police Department. The Mesa Police Association (MPA)’s first annual “Operation Blue Santa” delivered gifts to the Tate family in efforts to make this Christmas special for the grieving family.

Sgt. Lynch died October 25, 2007, from head injuries sustained in a SWAT Team training accident. He leaves behind a wife and three children; (8 year old son, 6 year old daughter and a 10 year old daughter). MPA’s Blue Santa arrived in a patrol car with gifts for the whole family.