On a normal day in September 2020, Meaghan Schultze’s life was thrown into a traumatic tailspin when she learned that her husband and college sweetheart had unexpectedly passed away. Everything Meaghan new and was accustomed to had crumbled into nothingness before she had time to process what had actually happened.
Meaghan has always been a strong, positive, and resilient woman, but this tragic event thrusted her into a cold and destitute world she never knew existed. Meaghan knew her strength and determination to power through the thick darkness of the void she was imprisoned in would be the force her daughters would draw upon in the days and years to come.
Every passing day since Meaghan found herself alone, creating an environment of joy and happiness for her daughters was becoming increasingly more difficult. Meaghan’s oldest daughter, Cam, would be celebrating her first birthday since her father passed away. Not knowing what to do, or who to turn to for help to ensure Cam would know she wasn’t alone, she reached out to Robert Zearing, the president of the Dads of Castle Rock, for help.
Robert wasted no time in putting a call to action for the dads to step forward to ensure Cam’s ninth birthday would be the best birthday they could muster.
Within minutes, an army of dads answered the call. Rick Reece, the owner of the Koroko Salon, offered to cut and style Cam’s hair, and Miguel Hernandez, the owner of The Office Company Bar and Kitchen offered his talents and resources to provide Cam and her family with a special birthday dinner. Thirty other dads and their families rallied together to canvas their front yard with as many signs, balloons, and decorations as they could carry.
After arriving at Meaghan’s home, the convoy of dads and their families wasted no time transforming their front yard into a birthday wonderland fit for a princess. Balloons and personalized signs with birthday messages with words of encouragement and compassion many lined the driveway. Streamers were strewn across the entryway, and spiderwebbed in many directions to create a beautiful canopy of colors.
Meaghan said the birthday decorating surprise “was truly remarkable, and an unforgettable experience for her [Cam]. The DoCR have paved a road that at one time felt impossible to walk and inserted palpable joy and happiness for our entire family!”
“The DoCR have paved a road that at one time felt impossible to walk and inserted palpable joy and happiness for our entire family!”
Meaghan schultze
Nothing can take away the pain of something as traumatic as the untimely death of a loved one. But if a group of dads and their families can rally around the surviving family with the sole intent of easing the pain, even if for only a moment, our purpose is validated.
