Living in the OC: Honoring our heroes.

Michigan State Police Lt. Matt Kanitz, left, and Sgt. Charles Hockanson receive survival kits from Marnee Furman and her sons, Lincoln, 6, and Wyatt, 9.

‘Living in the OC’ is sponsored by Springstead Law Offices, with locations in Hart and Fremont, 231-873-4022 (Hart), www.springsteadlaw.com.

By Allison Scarbrough. Editor.

HART — In honor of National Police Week, Marnee Furman of Oceana County delivers “survival kits” to local police officers.

Oceana County Sheriff Bob Farber and Deputy Dave Gregwer receive police week survival kits from Wyatt and Lincoln Furman.

Furman and her sons, Wyatt, 9, and Lincoln, 6, hand-deliver the kits to the local departments throughout police week. Furman’s husband, Ryan, is an officer with the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians police agency in Manistee, so she is well aware of the dedication that is required to be an officer. He has been a law enforcement officer for 17 years.

“They’re under-appreciated and over-worked,” Furman said. “They make a lot of sacrifices.”

Three years ago, Furman began handing out the survival kits, which are bags filled with useful items such as water bottles, LED flashlights, lint rollers, chapstick, candy, granola bars and protein bars.

Furman, who is a massage and manual therapist at Lakeside Comprehensive Rehabilitation & Family Fitness in Hart, also included one-week passes donated by Lakeside in the kits. Officers get to use the gym equipment and pool for free.

In addition to her employer, Furman got some help from donors Chad, Amber and Aiden Dumont; Sheri Campagana and family; Kara Dunford; Kristi Gifford and Stacey Baylis; and two anonymous contributors.

During police week, Furman said her home turns into a “workshop” as she packages all the kits prior to delivery. This year, she handed out 97 kits to Oceana County officers.

In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15 falls, as National Police Week. Established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others.

If anyone would like to help Furman with her efforts, they can contact her through Lakeside Rehab.

“There is so much to being a police officer,” she said. “It’s a lot more than just writing traffic tickets.”