The fundraising reigns for the First Responders Christmas Tree on display in downtown Fountain Hills have been passed on to Josh and Karen Logan of Guardian Training & Consulting, and they have expanded the program to include an annual donation to a charity benefiting the various fields the tree stands in honor of.

Several years back, Linda Kavanagh joined forces with residents Lina Belienir and Bob Scarpetti to introduce a First Responders Christmas Tree to the community’s annual holiday display. The tree, which stands in the heart of downtown, lights up blue each night in recognition of the men and women working in the military, law enforcement, emergency medical services, firefighters and similar fields.

Since the massive tree is a rental for the month of December, fundraising has to be carried out annually. This year, the founders were on the lookout for someone new to take on the fundraising and they turned to the Logans.

Both Scarpetti and Karen are retired Chicago police officers, so that connection led to him contacting Karen.

“He reached out and asked if we’d have interest in taking over and raising funds for the First Responders Christmas Tree,” Karen said. “We said of course, we’d love to take it over.”

The Logans set up Guardian First Responders as a 501(c)(3) charity to manage the fundraising, with all funds going to the tree initially, and any remaining funds going to charity.

“We’re both former first responders, so taking this on just made sense to us,” Josh said.

The Logans had to act fast for their first year of fundraising, taking over efforts only a couple of months ago.

“Thankfully, we had some big donors who really stepped up to help us this first year,” Karen said. “One individual in particular was very generous, making a large contribution in honor of her late husband, [Msgt. Paul F. Sammons USAF (Ret)].”

Josh agreed, saying that the community came out of the woodworks to donate to the cause. The Town of Fountain Hills also provided the platform for the tree, as well as the electricity to keep it lit each night.

The tree is accompanied by a plaque, produce by Signart of Fountain Hills, boasting a QR code to make donating easier. Premier donors are also acknowledged on the plaque, as well as a quote letting visitors know what the tree is all about.

“This Christmas tree is dedicated to all of our first responders,” the plague reads. “We thank them for their courage, sacrifice and service to our Fountain Hills Community and beyond.

“No words seem adequate to express our admiration and gratitude for these brave men and women who selflessly put themselves in harm’s way to protect others.”

The Logans explained that fundraising will be ongoing year-round, with any proceeds beyond the required amount to rent the tree going to a charity that supports first responders. For 2021, that charity is 100 Club of Arizona, which provides relief to the families of first responders who are injured or killed in the line of duty (100club.org). Once the calendar flips over to 2022, the designated charity will be Under the Shield, which provides confidential stress coaching for first responders working through tough times (undertheshield.com).

Those who wish to contribute digitally may swing by the First Responders Christmas Tree and scan the QR code for a quick donation. Otherwise, checks may be made out to “Guardian First Responders” and mailed to PO Box 18566, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269.

Karen said she and Josh were happy to step up and keep the tree a part of Fountain Hills’ holiday tradition, and Josh agreed.

“It’s in our DNA, from a service perspective,” he said. “Between us, we’ve spent almost 40 years serving our nation and our communities. It just made sense for us to do this. We’re honored to do it.”