Oregon family of fallen officer receives heartfelt gift
Oregon family of fallen officer receives heartfelt gift
A Florida teen traveled 3,000 miles to Oregon to give a special bear to 5-year-old Ziva Libke, whose father was killed in the line of duty in 2013.
A Florida teen is making a difference for families across the US and this weekend she was in Oregon to hand-deliver something special to the family of a fallen Oregon City officer.
Sitting at her sewing machine is how 16-year-old Megan O’Grady spends most of her weekends. She is giving her time to something bigger than herself.
"It’s all worth it in the end, so I don’t mind giving up time,” Megan said.
She and her family traveled more than 3,000 miles to Oregon this weekend to give a special bear to 5-year-old Ziva Libke. We spoke with Ziva's mom over the phone.
“It was emotional. It’s still emotional,” Wendy Libke said.
It’s emotional because Ziva’s dad, Oregon City police officer Robert Libke, was killed in the line of duty in 2013.
The bear is made from his uniform. It has Libke’s end-of-watch date and other personalized elements.
“It’s got Rob’s name on it from his shirt obviously, the patches, and then it also has Ziva’s name on it which I thought was very touching and awesome,” Wendy said.
Blue Line Bears is Megan's non-profit, founded in 2017.
“I was overwhelmed with how much she is dedicated to this cause,” Wendy said.
“This is all her idea. We had nothing to do with it,” said Megan’s dad, Patrick O’Grady.
The idea is to help families of fallen officers with their loss.
"It’s such a bittersweet moment because it’s really sad what the family has gone through but it’s also amazing knowing that I can be there to at least offer a tiny bit of comfort to them," Megan said.
While Ziva has never met her dad, the bear will be another reminder of who her dad was.
"He was a loving and caring man, very funny," Wendy said.
Megan, whose dad is also a police officer, is making a difference with her Blue Line Bears. All the sewing, stitching, and stuffing for a simple smile.
"Megan is just a super, super girl. Very nice, loving and caring, and just wants to give back," Wendy said.
So far, Megan has made about 450 bears that have been hand-delivered or shipped to about 35 states.
On Sunday, she left Portland and headed to Colorado to deliver another special bear to another family dealing with the loss of a fallen officer. Right now she’s a junior in high school and school is out for the holidays, which allows her to hand-deliver her bears.
If you want to support her cause, visit her website at bluelinebears.org. You can also follow her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Source: https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/oregon-family-of-fallen-officer-receives-heartfelt-gift/283-738105ee-660e-4921-a557-a5b4b5c2067b
