WEST FARGO, ND — A longtime West Fargo police detective facing stage four prostate cancer is getting broad support from coworkers, local businesses and residents ahead of a major fundraiser set for Friday.
The Miles of Strength event will benefit Detective Miles Orth and his family at the Horace Senior Center. Organizers have lined up lunch, a spaghetti dinner, silent auction items, raffles and donated goods, with proceeds intended to help cover the strain of treatment and travel.
West Fargo Police Department officer Rhonda Jorgenson discussed the effort Thursday on The Need to Know Morning Show on AM 1100 The Flag, where she described Orth’s illness, his years of service and the speed with which the community response came together.
A detective with deep ties to West Fargo and Horace
Orth has spent more than 20 years as a detective with the West Fargo Police Department, building a long career serving the city. Before that, he worked for the Minot Police Department.
Jorgenson said Orth’s connection to the area runs even deeper than his law enforcement work. He was born and raised in Horace, graduated from West Fargo High School and has remained closely tied to the community that is now organizing around him.
That hometown link helped make the Horace Senior Center a fitting place for the benefit. Jorgenson said the setting carries meaning for Orth and reflects the local nature of the support surrounding him and his family.
Orth is married and has two daughters, ages 8 and 10. Jorgenson said the diagnosis has created serious challenges for the family while he focuses on treatment.
Chemotherapy trips to the Twin Cities add to the burden
Orth is currently receiving chemotherapy in the Twin Cities, which means repeated travel away from home. Jorgenson said he generally makes the trip about once every three weeks for treatment.
She also explained that he must stay in the area for an additional day after chemotherapy for an injection that is given about 27 hours later. That extra time away adds to the family’s expenses and makes the routine more difficult to manage.
The travel, overnight stays and ongoing medical care are among the main pressures the benefit is meant to ease. Jorgenson said the need for support became clear as she learned more about the treatment schedule and the toll it is taking on the household.
By organizing the fundraiser locally, supporters are trying to reduce some of the financial strain that comes with repeated medical trips and the uncertainty of a serious cancer diagnosis.
Friday fundraiser will offer lunch, dinner and donations
The Miles of Strength fundraiser will run in two parts on Friday at the Horace Senior Center. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and dinner will run from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Lunch orders can be picked up at either the West Fargo Police Department or the Horace Senior Center. Jorgenson encouraged businesses ordering several lunches to place advance requests so organizers can prepare enough food.
The evening spaghetti dinner will be based on freewill donations, and a bake sale will also accept donations on the same basis. Organizers hope the meal service will draw a large crowd throughout the day and help raise as much as possible for Orth’s family.
Jorgenson said the event has been assembled over roughly a month, with volunteers helping coordinate meals, donated items and the logistics needed for a full-day benefit.
Auction items range from concert tickets to signed sports memorabilia
One of the largest parts of the fundraiser is the silent auction and raffle, which has grown through donations from businesses, organizations and individuals. Jorgenson said the response has been strong enough to fill a six-foot trailer with merchandise, with more items still being moved to the venue.
Among the items are general admission tickets to concerts at The Lights during 2027, a Rec Teq pellet grill valued at about $1,000 and bourbon packages featuring Buffalo Trace and Weller. Other donations include a Yeti cooler with bourbon, a Crown Royal cooler with assorted products and several wine baskets.
The auction also includes a Donald Trump autographed hat donated by Jay Thomas, along with a photograph of the signing and a White House pen. Sports items include two autographed Justin Jefferson Minnesota Vikings jerseys, an autographed North Dakota State University football helmet, an autographed University of North Dakota football jersey and a Carson Wentz jersey.
Jorgenson said photos of some of the larger items have been posted through the West Fargo Police Department’s online channels.
Businesses donate food and supplies to keep costs down
Support for the benefit has gone beyond auction prizes. Several local businesses stepped in with food and supplies to help cover the cost of the spaghetti dinner and keep more of the money raised going directly to Orth and his family.
Jorgenson highlighted a donation of about 1,000 pounds of pasta from Abby Amo. She also credited Labby’s with donating spaghetti sauce and Happy Joe’s with providing breadsticks for the meal service.
Those contributions help organizers serve attendees while reducing the amount spent on event expenses. The goal is to make the fundraiser as efficient as possible so the family receives the greatest possible benefit from the day’s donations.
For many involved, the support reflects how quickly the community has come together for a longtime officer whose career and family life have been rooted in the area for decades.
How supporters can learn more or give from afar
For people who cannot attend in person, the West Fargo Police Department says more information and donation options are available through its website and Facebook page. Organizers are using those channels to share details about the benefit and the auction items available.
The fundraiser has become a wider community effort built around Orth’s years of service, his local roots and the needs of a young family facing a difficult medical journey. Friends, officers and residents have contributed food, merchandise and time to make the event possible.
As Friday approaches, the benefit is expected to bring together a mix of lunch guests, dinner attendees and auction bidders, all aimed at helping a family navigate the costs and disruption created by stage four prostate cancer.
