Foundation fundraiser in Post Falls spotlights injured firefighter Justin Shaw

A tree strike on a wildfire line turned Justin Shaw’s life into a long rehabilitation and financial scramble, and Saturday’s fundraiser in Post Falls is built around that reality. The JW Memorial Foundation’s annual Helping Those Who Help Us event will honor Shaw and the hidden costs first responders’ families face after trauma, injury or death.

The foundation says it serves families of Idaho law enforcement officers, EMTs, paramedics and firefighters, paid and volunteer, who have died or suffered significant line-of-duty injuries. Its mission is immediate support, so families are not forced to choose between paying bills and staying at a bedside during a crisis. Since 2021, the foundation has helped about a dozen families, a sign of how often catastrophe creates needs that standard benefits do not cover right away.

Shaw’s case became a focal point for the board after he was struck by a falling tree on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, while engaged in initial attack operations on a wildfire start on the Salmon River Ranger District in central Idaho. Robert Tyler, a retired fire chief and foundation board member, described a brutal scene: Shaw was hit, driven into the ground, bounced on again by the tree and left with catastrophic traumatic brain injuries and multiple broken bones. His crew kept him alive until a helicopter flight out.

The foundation connected with the U.S. Forest Service and found the Shaw family while they were trying to secure temporary housing in Spokane, Washington. It helped cover living costs and later expenses as Shaw’s recovery continued, and later reporting said his family was remodeling their home in Idaho so he could live more independently when he returns. A May 21, 2025 Forest Service update said Shaw had spent 230 days at Craig Hospital and had made major gains, moving from being unable to speak, eat, stand or sit without support to feeding and dressing himself and working on speech strength and clarity.

The fundraiser, scheduled for April 18 in Post Falls, will feature Shaw, his parents Joe and Jan Shaw, as honored guests. Event materials say the foundation is honoring fallen emergency responders in Idaho and helping their families begin the road to recovery, a reminder that the aftermath of a line-of-duty injury can stretch far beyond the fire line and into every part of home life.