August 1, 2023 |
Photo – Bench donated by Bridge Street Bargains In Memory of Tyeler Harris – by Matt Copeland Bigfoot99
The recent bench dedication ceremony for fallen EMT Tyeler Harris of Saratoga was very touching, said the event organizer.
On July 15, local emergency medical technician Tyeler Harris was honored with a bench dedication at the North Platte Valley Medical Center in Saratoga. Harris was killed on December 21st while responding to an early morning crash on Interstate 80. According to reports from the Wyoming Highway Patrol, an inattentive driver plowed his big-rig truck into the ambulance Harris and his partner, Tiffany Gruetzmacher, were operating out of at the site of a previous crash east of west of Rawlins. Harris was pronounced dead on the scene. Gruetzmacher was critically injured. She was treated and later released from Cheyenne Regional Medical Center.
When the volunteers at Saratoga’s Bridge Street Bargains heard about the tragic accident, they felt compelled to act. The thrift store’s volunteer committee purchased a memorial bench in the name of Tyeler Harris. Bridge Street Bargains Chairwoman Judy Hamel said they wanted to leave a permanent reminder of the legacy Harris left behind.
Hamel said Bridge Street Bargains’ volunteer committee decided to honor Harris’s memory by purchasing a memorial bench. She said officials from the North Platte Valley Medical Center in Saratoga were happy to have the monument on the hospital grounds. Hamel said the bench is both a physical reminder of Harris and a place to rest for visitors to the medical clinic.
Hamel said the bench is made of vinyl planks with cast iron arms and legs. She said the artificial material was chosen to better resist Wyoming’s harsh winters. Hamel said Harris’s name is inscribed into the bench material.
The Tyeler Harris memorial bench was officially dedicated on Saturday, July 15th. Hamel said the weather was appropriate for the solemn occasion. The Bridge Street Bargains Chairwoman said the event was a reminder to the Harris family that Tyeler will never be forgotten.
Hamel said she spoke at the dedication ceremony. She said Harris’s father, Jason, and his widow, Ashley, also gave speeches during the event.
Hamel said the dedication ceremony was attended by roughly 50 people. She said Harris’s family came from across the state to witness the event. Hamel said the memorial bench dedication was well attended despite the many other events taking place across the county.
Hamel said the Saratoga Volunteer Fire Department gave Harris’s three children a ride to the dedication event on their fire truck. She said EMT’s from Classic Air Medical landed their helicopter in the hospital parking lot and attended the ceremony. Hamel said the memorial event was very poignant.
The Tyeler Harris memorial bench is currently located by the North Platte Valley Medical Center’s main entrance. Hamel said the seat will move to its permanent location once they finish landscaping the hospital grounds.
Hamel said the Bridge Street Bargains’ volunteers were honored to celebrate the life of Tyeler Harris. She said the volunteers worked hard to ensure the memorial bench dedication ceremony focused on Harris and the many contributions he made to the people of Carbon County.
Hamel said she wanted to personally thank Heidi Custis of Heidi’s Hothouse for donating two large flowerpots for the dedication ceremony.
The Tyeler Harris memorial bench is located by the front entrance of the North Platte Valley Medical Center at 1300 West Bridge Avenue in Saratoga. The bench will be moved to a different location on the clinic grounds at a later date.
