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Project Tribute Foundation pays respect to an Owasso Police Officer that died recently from COVID-19 complications.

Project Tribute Executive Director Jon Beckloff said he wanted to head down to Owasso in the Tribute Jeep to pay respects and decorate the patrol vehicle of Officer Edgar "Buddy" Pales, who died on Sunday afternoon in a Tulsa hospital. Beckloff said it is important to show gratitude to the officer's family. He said it was also important to show gratitude to the first responders in Owasso by celebrating the life of someone that they held near and dear to their heart.

The entire life of a first responder revolves around the fact that they are a first responder. Beckloff said the same goes for the family of first responders as everything is dependent on the life of the first responder in their home. He said the life of a first responder is never done; they are always clocked-in to keep all of us safe.

Beckloff wants to honor first responders in life as well as when they pass. He said it is always important to show constant support to those who serve and their families because they deserve to know that their loved one's life mattered/matters.

Showing support for an officer or any first responder is as easy as stopping what you're doing to tell them that you appreciate them. Beckloff said simply saying "thank you" is all it takes to make a first responder's day. He said providing meals or snacks for those that serve to protect us can go a long way when it comes to showing support for them, too.

Beckloff said first responders are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic daily. He said first responders have been on the front line of the pandemic since early 2020 and they deserve all the respect we can give them. 

Project Tribute Foundation took flowers, a card, a Jeep medallion, a small picture with "A Policeman's Prayer," and a wooden plaque with a verse from the Book of Psalm to Owasso to decorate Officer Pales' patrol vehicle (pictured left).

Beckloff said the decoration of the vehicle is similar to what was done for Washington County Sheriff's Office Corporal Kyle Davis after he passed following an altercation with an inmate at the County Detention Center in Bartlesville in March 2020. He said taking a second to show appreciation for first responders such as Officer Pales and Cpl. Davis can make more of a difference to the men and women that serve than we might realize.

If you wish to learn more about Project Tribute Foundation, click here.