Frederick County business community pledges support to Laird family through funds, services

Frederick News-Post - 8/18/2021

Aug. 18—In the days that followed Battalion Chief Joshua Laird's death from injuries he sustained in an Ijamsville house fire, an army of people mobilized to support his family.

Droves gathered in the drizzling rain to salute his casket as a procession transported it to a Taneytown funeral home. Others made meals for his family or donated what they could to a memorial fund. As of Tuesday afternoon, a fundraising page for the family had brought in more than $125,000.

Frederick's business community has contributed in its own way to the rush of generosity emanating throughout the county. A Facebook page created to organize support for the Laird family is filled with posts from local business owners, announcing fundraisers for the firefighter's memorial fund and offering services to his wife and daughters for free.

Dr. Steven Tan and his wife, Dr. Ashley Wong, still have a month before their health care center, Pediatric Eyes and Smiles, opens in Urbana, but the two have offered free dental and eye care to Laird's daughters until they turn 18 years old. Tan and Wong have two young children themselves, and on the night of Laird's death, Tan said he couldn't sleep.

Laird, who served 21 years in the county division of fire and rescue services, paid the ultimate sacrifice, Tan said. Offering free health care to his children is "the least, honestly, my wife and I can do," he said. Tan and Wong live minutes away from the house where Laird responded to his last alarm. Their business is also located nearby.

Following Laird's death, Katie Silver, who owns Silver Psychotherapy in Ijamsville, felt similarly pulled to help the family. She's been providing mental health treatment to first responders, military and police officers for 17 years and also grew up in the county. On Facebook, she offered pro-bono grief and trauma therapy to Laird's wife and two daughters.

"I can't imagine doing anything other than lending support to the family," she said.

This coming Saturday, The Buzz Cafe in Monrovia will be partnering with a local realtor to raise money for the Laird family. Between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m., Josie Medwick — as well as Cross Country Mortgage and Impact Maryland Real Estate — will be matching the cost of every cup of coffee sold and donating it to Laird's wife and daughters.

The Buzz is located less than a mile away from the Green Valley Fire Station, which was where Laird was assigned at the time of his death.

"My husband's in law enforcement and I have a lot of law enforcement friends," Medwick said. "I support and stand behind them 100 percent. So, when I heard about Laird, I had to help. It didn't matter to me what I was doing, I just had to help."

Dublin Roasters Coffee, located on North Market Street in Frederick, is also raising money in honor of Laird. Through next month, the coffee shop will be donating $5 to the Laird Memorial Fund for every bag it sells of its "Fire Ground Blend."

Since Serina Roy posted about the fundraiser on Facebook Monday afternoon, more than 50 people have put in orders for the blend, she said. Many have attached notes to their orders, sharing stories of how they knew Laird or voicing their desire to honor him.

"COVID helped everybody come together," said Roy, the owner of Dublin. "I watched businesses work together and people help other people. This feels very similar. I've never seen this volume of outpouring for a person that's passed away in our service industry. This has been amazing."

It wasn't until recently that Roy realized that her path had crossed with Laird's while he was alive. Dublin Roasters used to be located in New Market, across the street from the fire department there. Laird was assigned to that post at the time, and he would bring his buddies into the shop when he could smell the coffee roasting.

Laird's death struck a personal note for Roy in another way, too. Before she became a police officer for the city of Frederick, she used to volunteer for the United Steam Fire Engine Company downtown.

"Once you're in either of those two families, you're there forever," she said.

Follow Angela Roberts on Twitter: @24_angier

___

Visit The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md.) at www.fredericknewspost.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.