Chuck Schultz during his younger years serving on the Shelby Police Department.
Benefit to fund memorial plaque for late Shelby police sergeant.
SHELBY – Shelby community members have come together to host a benefit to fund a memorial plaque and tree in memory of 32-year Shelby Police Department Sgt. Roger “Chuck” Schultz, Jr.
This memorial will be placed on land donated by the Village of Shelby. All other funds raised will go into a scholarship fund, in Schultz’s name, awarded to an Oceana County student.
The fundraiser is set for Saturday, Oct. 22, from 2-7 p.m. at the Shelby Optimist Club.
“Chuck was an amazing person who was a true and constant friend to our community,” said Annette Kurzer. “He was one-of-a-kind and what a small town officer really is meant to be. His passing left a deep hole in our hearts. When the Village of Shelby heard my idea of planting a memorial tree and creating a plaque in his memory, they said they would donate land.”
“My dad was immensely grateful to have a job he loved,” said his daughter Kayla Schultz. “This community truly became his second family
over the course of his career. That’s why we wanted to give back in his memory. He had a special way of getting through to the youth, and we thought a scholarship in his name could help a student in Oceana County.”
Roger Charles “Chuck” Schultz, Jr. graduated from the police academy at Grand Valley State College in 1983. He started his law enforcement career in 1984 working part time at the Rothbury Police Department; part time at the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office; and full time at the Shelby Police Department. In 1997, he was promoted to sergeant within the Shelby Police Department and also became chief of police in the Village of New Era.
He retired from the Shelby Police Department with 32 years of service.
Chuck was dedicated to helping others, whether he was dressed in uniform or not. If he saw a need or a way to help, he would. One of his passions was to change the narrative about police and help the community understand that he and his fellow officers were there to help. He did this by participating in community engagement opportunities like Kids & Cops, a program in which children could meet police officers in their community, and Shop with a Cop, a program involving pairing up local children with a police officer to shop for Christmas gifts for their family. You could find him in uniform (and not) conversing with attendees at home basketball games, football games, and other sporting events or even volunteering to help the DPW plow snowy roads in the middle of the night when they needed assistance due to low staffing. No matter who you were, he would treat you with dignity and help as best he could because that is what he was called to do.
As part of the fundraiser, guests can dine on tacos, pulled pork, barbecued chicken and more. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase. Guests will have the opportunity to bid on any prize in the lineup, including an Oculus VR Headset.
There will be live music from John Merchant and Strings and Slide.
To learn more or stay up-to-date on the event, visit https://fb.me/e/5lelWeyh6. Hit the “Going” or “Interested” buttons on the Facebook event if they apply. Don’t forget to share the event with friends who were impacted by Chuck Schultz. If community members or businesses would like to donate an item for the raffle or volunteer during the benefit, they can fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/2XMfYBDiL4FvKaC6A or call/text the Pizza Factory at (231) 861-5036.
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