Ron and Don receive ‘thank you’ card from firefighter’s widow

It’s been nearly two months since KIRO Radio’s Ron and Don reached out to listeners to help the families of fallen firefighters combating the wildfires that plagued Eastern Washington this summer.

On Tuesday, Ron and Don heard from one person who benefited from the effort.

Related: Ron and Don ask listeners to help the families of the Methow Valley firefighters

“We got this lovely card in the mail. It’s from Richard [Wheeler’s] wife, Celeste,” Don said.

“Richard Wheeler was one of the fire fighters that died a number of months ago, near Twisp,” he explained. “Three firefighters died.”

The Ron and Don Show launched a GoFundMe page to raise money to help the families affected by the tragedy. The page raised $53,235 from 637 listeners.

Wheeler, 31, along with Tom Zbyszewsku, 20, and Andrew Zajac, 26, died when flames swept over their vehicle while fighting a blaze near Twisp.

The money was split four ways, between the families of the three fallen firefighters, and the family of Daniel Lyons who is still recovering from the incident.

“One of the firefighters is still fighting for his life,” Don said. “Daniel Lyons has gone through 12 or 13 different operations now and they expect him to make a full recovery.”

Dear Ron, Don, and Listeners,

I want to sincerely express my gratitude and thanks. I am deeply touched by your kindness and generosity. I feel overwhelmed, and so blessed to belong to such a caring community. Thank you for all your donations. The money will be very helpful as I try to move forward in life without my husband. My life has changed drastically. I miss Richard every day, but every day I realize how lucky I am to be surrounded by wonderful people who care. I can’t thank you enough for your support.

Sincerely, Celeste Wheeler

P.S. Please pass on my gratitude to the listeners by reading this on the air. Thank you.