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Sitka, Alaska Coffee Shop Owner Raises Money for Fallen Heroes Scholarship

by Matt Clark on February 27, 2012

Following a helicopter crash that killed three Coast Guard members in 2010, Melissa Thorsen-Broshat, owner of the Highliner Coffee Company, has been selling mugs at her Sitka, AK coffee shop and collecting proceeds for the Coast Guard Foundation's Fallen Heroes Scholarship program.

Last Friday, Melissa sent a donation for $1,500 to the Coast Guard Women and Spouses' Association of Sitka, which accepted the gift on behalf of the Foundation. We are honored and humbled to accept this gift that will help pay for college for the children of Coast Guard heroes who sacrificed their lives in service of our country.

Sitka

Coffee shop owner Melissa Thorsen-Broshat (center) presents the Coast Guard Women and Spouses' Association with a $1,500 gift for the Coast Guard Foundation Fallen Heroes Scholarship Program.

The crew of CG-6017 was flying the helicopter to Sitka when it crashed in La Push, Washington on July 7, 2010. Three of the four men onboard were killed: LT Sean Krueger, AMT2 Brett Banks, and AMT1 Adam Hoke. The crash left behind seven children eligible for the Fallen Heroes Scholarship. A total of 16 children are currently eligible for the scholarship throughout the service.

Supporting families during trying times is one of the key parts of the Coast Guard Foundation's mission. To get involved, click here.

 

Comments (3)

  1. avatar amber makes this comment

    Thursday, March 01, 2012 @ 19:03

    Her thoughtfulness brought tears to my eyes. I was so grateful to this coffee shop owner for honoring Adam, Brett, and Sean on her coffee cups. I was over joyed to receive one in the mail from Randy Hulse stationed there in Sitka.I heard that they sold out so fast. It is great to put a face and a name to the women that stood behind her CG community and did this to raise money too.So thank you Mellissa Thorsen-Broshat!!!!!

  2. avatar Rika Houthuijsen and Ria Stoepker makes this comment

    Saturday, October 27, 2012 @ 11:03

    Hallo Melissa and the crew from the Coffeeshop, Ria and I want to congratulate you all with the nice results from your action. Great job from you all to do this and the women from the Coast Guard man will be very glad with you all. Ria and I (from the Netherlands) made a 6-weeks trip through Alaska South-East in 2011 and we also visited Sitka . We had an interview with you Melissa for a video film which we are making now. Last winter I was to bussy with the birth of my grandson in Switzerland. But ... this week we are together and started with loading and screening all the filmscenes in the computer. We need a lot of time before all is ready, but we enjoy working on it.

  3. avatar Ria Stoepker and Rika Houthuijsen makes this comment

    Saturday, October 27, 2012 @ 11:07

    Continuation...: It was great fun to see all the material back and to see you in the coffee shop again. By searching on internet for the right spelling of your name, we dicovered your great action. When we visited you in 2011, you told us about the terrible accident in 2010 and in memory of these, we got the very special coffee cup from you. It still means a lot for us. We wish you all the best and when we have finished the film we let you know and will send you a DVD from it. (Only when we think that the result is OK ofcourse.) Warm greetings from Ria and Rika in the Netherlands
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