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Courtney Orton reporting When a bride and groom tied the knot in December, they asked wedding guests to skip the gifts and, instead, donate money to help officers who have been exposed to dangerous meth labs.
The couple came up with the idea when the groom's good friend and fellow police officer died two years ago. The groom believed the death was related to his friend's exposure to chemicals while breaking up more than 150 meth labs. To date, the couple has raised more than $10,000.
Stan and Tammy Egan say the gifts keep coming in. The money raised goes directly to officers waiting to get treatment, as well as to the families of those who have died from meth exposure.
The couple tied the knot one month ago today. It was a traditional Irish wedding but with an untraditional cause. Tammy said, "The good thing is to hear what it has meant to the officers, that they are not forgotten, and that it did mean something to them. Our goal was achieved, we gave them an opportunity to come and celebrate. We had a wonderful time at the wedding. We had no idea that it would turn into something like this. The attention is surprising. It's amazing."
The Egans received their first wedding gift before the wedding: a $5,000 check. Now with a total of more than $10,000, the ball keeps rolling. Stan said, "We expected it to be the end of it, and then another person picks up the ball."
Santaquin City Council member Martin Green heard what Stan and Tammy were doing and wanted to help. He raised $850. "These police officers put their lives on the line every day for us here in Utah. Some way, small as it is, to help repay them for what they do as citizens," said Green.
Stan says there is a critical window of time exposed officers have to get the help they need. He hopes the money they've raised so far will help brighten the futures of struggling officers the way Tammy has his in their first month as husband and wife. "We made it a month. No one thought it would last this long. We've done very well," Stan said.
Tammy agrees. She said, "We're very happy. It's been a great time. We've had a lot of fun. It's nice to be happy, and it's nice to be able to share that happiness with others."
For more information on the detoxification project or what you can do to help, go to the related links.
