In 2006, I had such mixed emotions about Boulder, Utah.  It was a place that represented sadness and loss. 

At that time, I could never imagine the connection I now feel with the town, but time has a way of blowing the smoke from your eyes so you can clearly see the complete picture.  What happened to Dave was unimaginable, but the people of Boulder didn’t hesitate to reach out and help during that terrible time.

Now when I think of Boulder, I think of all of the children who  have enjoyed the art center at the festival, which is held the second week of July each year.   I hope a few might pass the sign and say, “Who’s Dave Buschow?” and might learn that he was a young man who died doing what he loved, and how Boulder citizens did all they could to help.  Dave’s family just want to continue thanking the town and hope they will remember her son.

The following pictures were taken during the last two festivals.  I’m sure Dave would be pleased.
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We co-sponsored all of the Rascal teams this fall.  With all the different colors of the shirts,  it was like watching a field full of Skittles wearing shirts that said DAVE’S TEAM.  I smiled and said to myself, “Whattya think of that, Dave?”

What fun it was watching these little kids running around the fields like swarms of bees. Sure, the coaches tried ever so valiantly to keep order and teach teamwork, but the kids really just wanted to run in bunches.   At times, they actually lined up and took turns kicking the ball into the net and doing what they were told.  But, they were having much more fun chasing each other and knocking each other to the ground.  The coach would yell “Take the ball” and that’s exactly what one little boy did—he picked it up and ran with it!  If the ball wasn’t lined up perfectly in front of the net, one little girl  just picked it up and put it where she wanted.   I give the coaches a lot of credit for having such patience and, most of all, a good sense of humor!

This was a very special sponsorship because my grandson, Tyler, was part of the clinic. Seeing Tyler on the field was a truly bittersweet moment.  I felt so much joy in watching him run up and down the field and make all the mistakes the other three-year olds made.  A few times I heard myself yell, ‘Go Da–, Tyler.”  Dave’s name slipped out a couple of times.  I have to admit it wasn’t only the bright sun that made my eyes tear. To see Dave turn from one of the bees in the swarm to a great player was an amazing  journey; not only for him, but for me, too.

Who knows if soccer will be Tyler’s “thing” like it was Dave’s.  No matter what he decides to do, he’ll find his Grandma rooting him on—maybe not with a tray of oranges—but rooting him on nevertheless.

Dave always looked up to his big brother.  Everything Rob did became Dave’s next goal.  Rob became a Cub Scout so Dave anxiously awaited the day he would be old enough to be a Tiger Cub.

Scouting became a thread that ran through our family.  I was a Den Leader.  There were hikes, parades, Blue & Gold dinners, Camporees, Pinewood Derby competitions, trips to No-Be, and many badges awarded from Tiger Cubs to Star Scout.

Dave left scouting due to an unfortunate conflict between scouting and the several soccer teams that absorbed his time.  But even though he left scouting, scouting never left Dave.  He carried his love for the outdoors the rest of his life.

It is for this reason that we wanted to express our gratitude to the scouting community by contributing to the high adventure program for Troop 47 in Westwood.

Richard B of BSA provided this brief explanation of the high adventure program of Floodwood:

“Basically Floodwood is the Northern New Jersey’s High Adventure Base located in Tupper Lake, NY in the Adirondacks.  Floodwood offers week-long hiking and canoeing treks.  Treks are typically canoe treks that paddle around the Saranac Lakes area and camp on the islands along the way.  The area is fantastically beautiful and home to a number of wildlife!”

With all of Dave’s interests – scuba diving, snowboarding, hiking, rock climbing—this type of program would have been right up Dave’s alley.

We hope this gift in Dave’s name helped make wonderful memories for a worthy young man.

Dave finished 6th Grade before we moved to River Vale and was set to start 7th Grade in the fall.  He would be the “new kid” who had to prove himself and the best way to do that was with his soccer skills.

In Washington Twp. he belonged to the standard recreation teams as well as select traveling teams.   He wanted to be even better to fit in with his new friends so he was super-psyched when I signed him up for a soccer clinic during the summer.  Once again he became a valued member of the recreation teams; both indoor and outdoor, as well as the select traveling teams sponsored by Lipton and Minolta.

He carried his love of soccer through high school.  In his senior year, he shared in the glory of the varsity team’s first ever County Championship.

I wanted to honor Dave by sponsoring a recreation team in River Vale.  The River Vale Soccer Association was immediately receptive and helpful with my wishes.  “Dave’s Team” was a group of boys the same age as Dave was when he joined the River Vale team.  The team was naturally curious what the meaning was behind the name of their sponsor “Dave’s Team.”  After a wonderful explanation from the Ed A, President of the Association, the coach of the team sent an e-mail to the parents explaining the meaning.  Coach Tom said, “I find it to be an honor to keep Dave’s memory alive by wearing his name on our shirts.  Dave was an active athletic well respected citizen of River Vale who served our country.  The kind of kid we all want ours to be like.  One last thing, please explain who Dave was to your children and tell them we will simply say “GO DAVE” when breaking from a huddle.”  Whew, that definitely brought tears to my eyes!

At first I wondered if the flashback sitting in the bleachers would be too much for me.  But to the contrary, it refreshed the joy and excitement I felt watching the games all those years ago. The boys had a great season.  They worked hard, made it to the finals, and played a fantastic game!  And to top it off, several parents told me how the boys “made it a point to play a bit harder.”  At the pizza dinner after the championship game, I was presented with this wonderful picture of the team, signed by everyone.  I thanked Lisa G for making it so special and told her how much it meant to me.  I keep it in my office at work and receive many wonderful comments. 

Afterward several players thanked me for sponsoring their team.  One player wrote, “It was a privilege to play on a team in memory of your son. I hope we did you well.” 

Without a doubt, you most certainly did!!!  Thanks to all of you!

In a continuing effort to thank the people of Boulder for their kindness and help, we sought out organizations that focused on the children of the town.  Nothing makes parents happier than doing something for their children!

Katie A. reached out with compassion soon after Dave died so she seemed like the natural person to give us guidance on our quest.  As the official 4H Club Leader, Katie explained that “The 4H Horse program teaches the youth to work with a project horse. They are competing in several different disciplines from Fitting and Showmanship to speed events.  And then again, it’s not only about riding- the youth have to study several books about  horsemanship and horse science in order to master a written test which is mandatory at each show.  The top kids in each county qualify for region and state contests.  Beyond horses the youth are involved and participate in service projects, demonstrations, camps, clinics, fundraising activities.  This year the Boulder Broncs had a very successful bake sale, two raffles, one ranch rodeo to raise funds.  The money is used to buy T shirts with the club name and logo on it, to pay judges to come and judge their shows, and for year end awards.  Last year we had quality bridles and grooming kits for each one of them.  The youth that went the extra mile and submitted a comprehensive portfolio to the county extension office of the Utah State University received an additional matching breast collar.”

Katie added, “The program further promotes leadership skills and offers several scholarships for the USU.  The 4H is a well rounded program which encourages the kids to work with their horse and their (human) team members, which it promotes academics and leadership. Besides everything, it keeps the kids off the road and away from computer games, and actively involved in their community.”

We were happy to help!

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Dave had a way with kids, which started during the child care portion of Family Living in high school.  I remember one specific night when we were standing in Westwood waiting for the Christmas Parade to begin.  A little boy caught sight of Dave and excitedly pointed him out to his parents and pulled them toward Dave.  Dave squatted down to his level and made such a fuss over him.  The parents told Dave and me how much this little boy talked about his special friend, Dave.  I was so proud of him!  He would’ve made such a good dad!

He showed the same caring wherever he went.  While he was stationed in the Marshallese Islands we spoke on numerous occasions about how little the children had by U.S. standards, yet how happy they were with whatever they had.

I had sent him a really cool kite to use on those wide-open beaches at Roi Namur.  He had flown it creating quite an audience of Marshallese children.  It gave him great satisfaction to give the kite to one of the local families to enjoy with the children.

It was for this reason that we made a donation in Dave’s memory to the Marshallese children’s organization, ECCF.  I was told that these funds were used to help bring a teacher to one of the remote islands.

I’m sure Dave would be proud!

At the time of Dave’s death, we were naturally consumed with grief.  It didn’t even occur to us that compassionate and kind people of Boulder put themselves in danger to head to the canyon that fateful evening.

Once the blinding grief allowed clarity to trickle in, we realized we needed and wanted  to thank the people of Boulder for their help.

In searching the Boulder website, we noticed that a Heritage Fair is held each year “to preserve and share the history of Boulder and the surrounding areas.”  Since the fair also fell on the anniversary of Dave’s death, it seemed most appropriate to sponsor an event at the fair for the benefit of the children of Boulder.

After the fair, Cheryl C, one of the organizers of the event, sent me the following lovely e-mail:

“We had a great Boulder Heritage Festival.  I want to thank you once again for your family’s support.  Both of our kid events that we used your money for were great.  We have decided to add the play each year after the mail is delivered on horseback after having traveled 12 miles over the old Boulder Mail Trail.  The play this year was a series of letters the students wrote and then shared.  We had our video person tape the play and I will get you a copy as soon as he has it available.  Attached is a picture of the play. I am also attaching a picture from the Children’s Art Center.  We had a great rock painting contest with winners voted on by Festival Participants. It was a great activity.  Thank you once again. We did recognize Dave, sharing information from you and the website along with a picture of him at each event.  Maybe in the future, you can be here to share more thoughts about him with us.  He sounds like an incredible young man.”

Nothing makes us happier than knowing that Dave’s story continues to touch the lives of the people of Boulder.  And, yes, Cheryl, he WAS an incredible young man and we will definitely visit Boulder again in the future.

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As the years have passed, we wondered, “How can we keep Dave’s memory alive?  How can we continue to tell his story now that it is no longer is in the news? And, most of all, what would Dave want us to do?”  Thus began our support of various organizations, people, and projects that we felt would make Dave proud and, at the same time, give us comfort that his story is reaching new places and touching more lives.

This section of the website will hopefully become a testament to Dave.