The family of a fallen St. Paul firefighter received a $50,000 donation on Tuesday so they will have “one less thing to worry about.”

The MN 100 Club wanted to help with lost wages and funeral expenses for the family of Timothy Bertz, said the nonprofit formed to provide emergency financial assistance to the families of first responders killed or critically injured in the line of duty.

Bertz, 52, graduated from the St. Paul Fire Department academy on Dec. 17, worked at the training facility on Dec. 19, and had a sudden and major medical event at home on Dec. 20, according to the fire department. He died at the hospital on Dec. 22.

Another nonprofit, the Front Line Foundation, also gave money to his family last month saying, “Bertz dedicated his life to protecting others with courage, humility and an unwavering sense of duty.”

““First Responders need us now. Every day they leave behind families to go to work to protect us, and sometimes they don’t come home. We need to stand in the financial gap and help protect those families as they navigate after a loss,” said Dave Moran, president of the MN 100 Club.

The MN 100 Club has given more than $500,000 to first responders and their families since it was formed in 1972, according to treasurer DeeDee Jankovich.

“We know that it can take weeks or even months for death benefits to be realized,” said MN 100 Club Board Member and former State Fire Marshall Tom Brace. “Our purpose is to make sure that families have one less thing to worry about.”

For more information on how to support Minnesota First Responders, please visit www.mn100club.org.

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