Royals honor fallen firefighter-paramedic Graham Hoffman with shirt, moment of silence
Updated: 5:39 PM CDT May 5, 2025
FINAL RESTING PLACE. OF COURSE, THAT PROCESSION MOMENTS EARLIER PASSED IN FRONT OF HIS FIRE STATION, FIRE STATION 42, IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS CITY, AND KMBC NINE S KRISTA TATSCHL HAS BEEN THERE THROUGHOUT THE DAY, SHARING WHAT I’M SURE HAVE BEEN SOME VERY EMOTIONAL MOMENTS. TO BE SURE, KRISTA NOT A DRY EYE ON THE BLOCK, CHRIS. IT IS A MOMENT IN TIME WHERE EVERYBODY JUST STOPS, STANDS STILL. IT IS SOMBER. IT IS MOVING. PEOPLE HAVE THEIR HANDS ON THEIR HEART. THERE ARE MULTIPLE PEOPLE, DOZENS OF PEOPLE HERE JUST STOPPING WHAT THEY WERE DOING, RAISING AN AMERICAN FLAG, PUTTING THEIR HAND ON THEIR HEART, SALUTING IN HONOR OF GRAHAM HOFFMAN. JUST BEFORE THIS PROCESSION WENT THROUGH, THEY PUT HIS UNIFORM OUT FOR EVERYONE TO SEE HERE. AND AS HIS FAMILY’S VEHICLE WAS GOING BY, THEY WERE PUTTING THEIR HANDS OUT OF THE WINDOW, WAVING AT THE CROWD, SAYING THANK YOU. AND BEFORE AND AFTER THIS PROCESSION, ALL DAY, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, AS WELL AS FIREFIGHTERS HAVE COME THROUGH TO PAY THEIR RESPECTS AND PRAYER AND FLOWERS WITH FOOD. MANY FIRST RESPONDERS ARE FILLING IN HERE TODAY AT 42. SO THOSE WHO WORKED HERE AT THIS STATION, THEY COULD GO TO THE FUNERAL. WE SPOKE TO TWO PARAMEDICS WHO DROVE IN FROM TOPEKA TO SHOW THEIR SUPPORT. THEY SAID FIRST RESPONDERS ARE A FAMILY WHO STAND TOGETHER IN JOY AND IN GRIEF. IT’S HIT ME REALLY HARD KNOWING THAT YOU KNOW THE SAME PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT TO SAVE EVERYONE ARE ALSO PEOPLE THAT ARE TARGETED, AND IT JUST IT’S IT’S SAD TO KIND OF SEE WHAT HAS HAPPENED. BUT AGAIN, JUST HAVING THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT TO KIND OF GET THROUGH THIS AND HOPEFULLY PREVENTING IT IN THE FUTURE AS WELL. THERE WAS A LOT OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT HERE TODAY, FROM THE VERY YOUNG TO THE VERY OLD WHO CAME OUT. AND WHEN I ASKED THEM, I SAID, WHY DID YOU COME OUT? AND THE SIMPLE ANSWER I GOT OVER AND OVER AGAIN WAS BECAUSE WE CARE. WE CARE ABOUT HOFFMAN’S FAMILY. WE CARE ABOUT HIM. WE CARE ABOUT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. AND THIS ENTIRE DAY, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE TIME IT TOOK THE PROCESSION TO GO. THIS STATION HAS BEEN ANSWERING CALLS FROM EARLY MORNING UNTIL JUST A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THE PROCESSION. THEY’RE STILL DOING THEIR JOBS, AND THE PUBLIC SHOWED UP TODAY TO HONOR THEM. WE’RE LIVE OUTSIDE OF STATION 42 KRISTA TATSCHL KMBC NINE NEWS.
Royals honor fallen firefighter-paramedic Graham Hoffman with shirt, moment of silence
Updated: 5:39 PM CDT May 5, 2025
The Kansas City Royals are paying tribute Monday to fallen firefighter-paramedic Graham Hoffman in their first home game since his funeral. During batting practice at Kauffman Stadium, players wore custom shirts as a sign of respect. “I have friends and family back home that are firefighters,” Erceg said. “What they do is a lot harder than what we do. They’re the real heroes in our society.” “I think, like I said, that’s part of the reason why we do this job — to bring a community together,” Royals second baseman Michael Massey said. “It’s a lot bigger than baseball and about a lot of moments.”KCFD Station 10, on its Facebook page, said the team purchased Station 42 memorial shirts for players and staff to wear during practice.”We want to thank The Kansas City Royals for their purchase of the Station 42 shirts for all of the team and staff to wear during practice before games,” the station said. “This simple but monumental gesture is yet another example of the community that Kansas City is!”
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
The Kansas City Royals are paying tribute Monday to fallen firefighter-paramedic Graham Hoffman in their first home game since his funeral.
During batting practice at Kauffman Stadium, players wore custom shirts as a sign of respect.
“I have friends and family back home that are firefighters,” Erceg said. “What they do is a lot harder than what we do. They’re the real heroes in our society.”
“I think, like I said, that’s part of the reason why we do this job — to bring a community together,” Royals second baseman Michael Massey said. “It’s a lot bigger than baseball and about a lot of moments.”
KCFD Station 10, on its Facebook page, said the team purchased Station 42 memorial shirts for players and staff to wear during practice.
“We want to thank The Kansas City Royals for their purchase of the Station 42 shirts for all of the team and staff to wear during practice before games,” the station said. “This simple but monumental gesture is yet another example of the community that Kansas City is!”