THE EMERGENCY FUND YOU HOPE YOU NEVER NEED and the NV100 CLUB

First responders put our needs at their top priority for us every day at work.  But what happens when the first responder is killed in the line of duty?  Who makes their family a top priority?  Drew Aguilar, one of the Directors on the Board of NV100 Club shared the details of a valuable non-profit organization with the Minden Rotary Club at their meeting this past week.

The NV100 Club started in 2023 and is modeled after 140 “100 Clubs” throughout the nation.  The first club was started in 1952 in Detroit when William Packer, the largest Pontiac dealership owner in the United States, saw a need for the community to support the family of a police officer killed on duty.  He wrote a letter to 100 of his friends explaining the need and they started a fund for the family of the fallen officer.  All 100 of those friends contributed to the fund.  The widow’s newly purchased house was paid off, bills were paid, an education fund was set up for the son and a $7000 check was deposited in the widow’s checking account.

Nevada resident and Retired Fire Captain, Rudi Sutherland saw this need in Nevada.  In 2021, he personally funded “Honor Our Heroes”, a community fund that assisted four families of fallen heroes with an endowment of $1.6 million. In 2023, Sutherland and a few others started the process of turning this fund into a an official non profit, 501 (c)(3) organization called the NV 100 Club.  The official purpose is “to provide immediate financial assistance and support to families and survivors of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel who serve in Nevada, and are killed or seriously injured in the line of duty, while carrying out their duty here or outside the State of Nevada.”

The NV100 Club has helped six families so far - including the four from the original community fund.  This includes the families of:

A twenty-three year veteran officer shot and killed during a domestic disturbance call,

Two officers who were struck by a drunk driver while assisting a motorist,

A twenty five year veteran officer who died in a car pursuit,

An off duty officer, headed home from work, who died in a head on collision on Interstate 15,

An officer killed in February of this year while responding to a call.

Are you interested in helping?  The NV100 Club is looking for Board members with financial expertise or contacts within law enforcement, fire protection and EMS organizations.  Volunteer and donation information can be found on their website at www.nv100club.org.