SPOKANE, Wash. – Following the ambush deaths of Battalion Chiefs Frank Harwood and John Morrison, artist Erin Etheridge, born and raised in the Bayview area of Coeur d’Alene, painted a portrait to honor these heroes.
Etheridge expressed her feelings and gratitude for the firefighters through her art. She shared the impact of her work, saying, “It’s humbling because I have had quite a few firefighters reach out to me and either tell me a short story about where they have been a firefighter. Some of them know the firefighters we have lost. They felt it was a beautiful and symbolic piece.”
Etheridge’s painting is a part of the “A Community Rises” fundraiser at the Stateline Speedway Stadium on July 27, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Additionally, she intends to donate proceeds from prints and hand-painted copies of her artwork to the Red and Blue Foundation.
Etheridge has been receiving requests for copies of her work from about 20 firefighters or their loved ones, and she is providing these copies free of charge.
