Families Of Slain First Responders Can Find Comfort In Waretown-Based Project Lakeview

WARETOWN, NJ — On Sept. 24, 2016, three Wilmington, Delaware firefighters died after fighting a fire on Lakeview Road.

Waretown resident Adam Risden remembers that day well. He was a firefighter and worked alongside the three.

Now, Risden's goal is to help the families of first responders like those three when tragedy strikes and a life is lost in the line of duty.

"It's a very personal thing for me," Risden told Patch.

He launched Project Lakeview in October of 2020. The nonprofit's goal is to give the families of first responders killed in the line of duty experiences that will bring them joy and honor those killed.

"We're building memories the family will never forget," Risden said.

The charity is working on a small scale as of now, bringing experiences to families that relate to the first responder's passion. For example, if a late police officer loved a certain restaurant, Risden sets up a night out for his family at that restaurant. Or if they enjoyed a certain hobby, the experience would revolve around that.

The goal is to "make it personal," Risden said. Often when a first responder dies in the line of duty, money is raised and given to their family. This is helpful, Risden acknowledged, but money is not permanent and goes towards paying bills and the like.

But memories? "Memories always last a lifetime," Risden said.

Families who lose a first responder should not have to heal alone, Risden said. His ultimate goal is to create a community of families that can lean on one another for support.

While the families helped now are mostly local, Risden envisions taking Project Lakeview to a national level. This could be a sports outing or taking a family on a dream vacation. But for now, he hopes he can give the families a small memory to bring them some joy.

For more information or how to donate, visit Project Lakeview's website. You can also visit their Facebook page for upcoming. fundraising events