Eugene Oregon's news leader KMTR reports that Longview Washington police officer Kevin Sawyer took his family on vacation about 180 miles away to the central Oregon coastal town of Newport.
Kevin noticed a memorial bench that had been made in honor of Oregon State Police Senior Trooper James Hatch, who passed away from cancer. Retired Newport officer Steve Etter had made that bench to honor Hatch. The bench had been recently vandalized with graffiti.
Kevin took his family to the store and bought the painting supplies they needed and fixed up the bench.
In a Facebook post, Newport Police say the city is “very fortunate” to have families like theirs visit their community.
“It may not be perfect,” Sawyer says, “but the lessons learned and memories made on this vacation will last a lifetime.”