HARTFORD COUNTY, Md. — A Baltimore City firefighter who died in the line of duty three years ago is being remembered through a foundation that provides crucial mental health support to first responders.
Kelsey Sadler died in 2022 when responding to a fire in a vacant home. The building collapsed, killing her and two other firefighters. Now, her family and friends are turning grief into action by creating the Salty Dog Foundation.
Nearly 200 people gathered at Mountain Branch for the second annual Salty Dog Golf Tournament to raise awareness and funds for connecting first responders with service dogs.
“Yeah, I miss her every day, she was my best friend, so this is our way of trying to do something positive in such a hard time,” said Lacey Marino, Sadler’s sister and a member of the Salty Dog Foundation.
The foundation, named after Sadler’s former home inspection business, focuses on providing therapy and service dogs to emergency personnel who often carry emotional burdens from their work.
“So Kelsey was an avid animal lover, it didn’t matter what is was– dog, cat, squirrel, she loved them all,” said Nikki McClung, close friend and secretary of the Salty Dog Foundation. “She used to have a home inspection business called Salty Dog Home Inspection, so we took that name and created a nonprofit organization.”
Marino, who is also a firefighter, understands firsthand the mental health challenges faced by those in emergency services.
“What we see on the job, the calls that we run, the things we experience– it’s not normal so we carry that with us, so having therapy dogs is a really good outlet for that,” said Marino.
The golf tournament featured tickets, raffles, and putting games with all proceeds going to a meaningful cause.
“All of this money goes to fund therapy and service dogs for servicemembers and first responders, so it’s great,” said McClung.
While the grief remains, Sadler’s loved ones find comfort in continuing her legacy of helping others.
“Not having her here is not right, not normal… But if this one thing we can do to keep her memory alive and to keep all of the positivity and the sunshine that she brought, it makes it a little bit easier sometimes,” said McClung.
The Golf event is one of many Salty Dog Foundation events they organize to keep Sadler’s memory alive while raising awareness and funds for mental health.
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