Local police chief makes good on promise
Creston Police Chief Bryon Meshew made good on a promise to attend the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #94 Shop with a Hero event after he was involved in a motorcycle accident in August that left him unable to breathe on his own or speak. Meshew said his goal, after regaining consciousness, was to attend the event in which he was chairman.
Dan Starcher
Wayne County first responders and volunteers recently brightened the holiday season for nearly 90 children during the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #94 Shop with a Hero event held at Grace Church in Wooster.
The yearly event pairs a first responder with a local child for a day of shopping at Walmart, a ride in a first response vehicle and other holiday festivities.
But the children weren’t the only ones who felt overjoyed. Creston Police Chief Bryon Meshew put a smile on everyone’s face when he made good on a promise to attend the event he chairs following an August motorcycle accident at Mid Ohio Motorsports that left him hospitalized and unable to speak or breathe on his own.
“Once I became conscious, my goal was to make it here today,” Meshew said. “I have been home for about three weeks, and now here I am, 111 days since the accident.”
After his hospital stay, Meshew underwent five weeks of physical therapy and currently uses a mobility chair.
Before his accident and as event chairman, Meshew expanded the Shop with a Hero program to include children with special needs along with those demonstrating financial need.
“We held a Cops and Kids field day event earlier in the year at Norwayne High School. We partnered with Norwayne’s intervention specialist Denise Followay and invited special needs children from all schools to attend the field day,” Meshew said. “We liked that idea so much that we invited that same group to be here today to be a part of Shop with a Hero.”
According to Followay, she, the FOP and Meshew met and discussed possibly getting special needs students from the county involved with the Shop with a Hero event. After Followay spread the word to the other schools, everyone involved was dedicated to helping make it happen.
“For me, it is great to see every student be involved and having a great time,” Followay said. “Events like this benefit the entire school community and provide opportunities for meaningful interactions that build positive relationships, enhance social skills and instill a sense of respect for one another’s differences.”
Dan Starcher is the public communications coordinator for Wayne County.
