ST. LOUIS (AP) — It is a program unique to St. Louis, but one that has been helping families of fallen police and firefighters now for a half-century.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that 119 St. Louis-area public safety workers have died in the line of duty since BackStoppers was founded in 1959 by 11 businessmen who were concerned about the financial consequences for widows and orphans.
The group now spends $1 million annually to support survivors of 47 of the fallen. The organization depends solely on donations.
