Correction
This story originally misspelled the last name of a laid-off Tulsa police officer. The officer's name is Mitchell Helberg. The story has been corrected.
Saturday was an emotional day for Jared Grafton.
At night, he was to be married to Tiffany Welch in Catoosa.
However, in the morning nearly 800 people came to Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian to stand up for him — and two of his colleagues — for a different reason.
The Tulsa church was the scene of a pancake breakfast held as a fundraiser for Grafton, Brad Blackwell and Mitchell Helberg — the three officers who were recently laid off from the Tulsa Police Department because of the city's financial woes.
"It's really great to see people showing up like this," Helberg said. "It's nice to know there are this many people who care."
FOP Auxiliary Vice President Erin Barnes said that close to $7,000 was raised at the event meant to help the three officers pay their bills. She said many who attended contributed more than the $5 admission fee.
The event was originally scheduled after the city of Tulsa laid off 21 officers in late October because of budget cutbacks. However, 18 of them were rehired last week using federal stimulus grant funds.
While city officials and the police union try to find the funds to rehire the remaining three, fundraising efforts such as the one held Saturday morning are under way to help
them financially.
As it turned out, Saturday morning's event was slated on the same day that Grafton was scheduled to marry Welch. The events were sufficiently far apart in the day for both to go on as scheduled.
As packed as the Kirk of the Hills parking lot was on Saturday morning, one would have thought that a wedding was going on inside.
"I really didn't expect this many people," Welch said as she sat at a table full of family members who were preparing for a wedding when a pancake breakfast broke out.
Blackwell said the level of support from the community "has been unbelievable since Day One."
He said he continues to get phone calls on a daily basis from people encouraging him to stay positive.
"At a time like this it means a lot," he said. "Sooner or later, it will work out."
The Fraternal Order of Police has announced it has established the "FOP Save the City Fund" and hopes to collect at least $100,000 that would be given to the city so it could rehire the three officers.
After the layoffs were announced, the officers were notified that the Tulsa Public Schools Police Department had grant money that could be used to hire officers for 22 weeks but without the sort of medical benefits that they have enjoyed at TPD.
Also, the city announced it had two open positions as airport officers.
Blackwell and Helberg said they are still weighing their options. However, Grafton said he will start with Tulsa Public Schools on Tuesday — his honeymoon will have to wait — even though he said he knows that it is not a long-term solution.
All expressed hope that something will be worked out which would allow them to rejoin the force they joined in January.
Though a lot of people who showed up on Saturday had some tie to law enforcement, others just wanted to show their support for those who serve and protect.
Grafton said he found that impressive because "as police officers we usually don't come across people on their best day."
Besides the lodge as well as various individuals and church members, Barnes said others who contributed to Saturday's event included Arby's, Hiland Dairy, Krispy Kreme and Reasor's.
Donations
People who want to
donate may send money
to the FOP lodge. Checks
should be made to:
Fraternal Order of Police
Lodge 93
P.O. Box 2473
Tulsa, OK 74101
David Harper 581-8359
david.harper@tulsaworld.com
