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End of Watch group organizes snack bags for fallen deputy's service

Ahead of Deputy Mark Stasyuk's memorial service, volunteers with the End of Watch Fund spent the afternoon doing a small gesture for those who put their lives on the line of duty everyday.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ahead of Deputy Mark Stasyuk's memorial service, volunteers with the End of Watch Fund spent the afternoon doing a small gesture for those who put their lives on the line of duty every day.

Volunteers packed the City Council Chambers in Elk Grove to organize snack bags and thousands of letters for officers who will attend Stasyuk's memorial service on Saturday.

"It makes the job worth it, because a lot of the time it's thankless and then you meet someone that says they appreciate what you do for the community," said Sgt. Jason Kearsing with the Elk Grove Police Department.

Kearsing spent his afternoon with many other volunteers getting snack bags ready for the memorial.

"It's unfortunate that we have to do these, but when they do happen, you see everybody that comes out. They have their supportive shirts on and they have a smile on their faces. Even though this is a challenging thing to do because of what we are doing if for. But it does warm the heart to see the community come out and partake and they understand why they are doing it too," Kearsing said.

The End of Watch Fund was hoping to have 2,500 letters delivered to go along with their snack bags. They received as many, if not more than what they were looking for.

"Everything is donated. From the pretzels to the bags to everything is donated by the public and now everything, the cards. It's true connection with the public," said John Finazzo, a volunteer.

This small gesture means so much to the officers attending the service. It's a long day, often without any break for food. So the snacks and words of encouragement come in handy.

"To me, it's more than a snack bag now. It comes from the heart," Finazzo said.

The End of Watch Fund is always looking for volunteers and donations. For more information, click here to visit their website or visit their Facebook page.

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