Teacher who lost wedding band tackling school gunman given new ring, throws first pitch at M's game

(Photo: Seattle Mariners)



BELLEVUE -- Teacher Brady Olson lost his wedding ring when he tackled a student who had fired two rounds from a gun at North Thurston High School last month.

Olson didn't think of his own safety the day he tackled the student firing a gun in North Thurston High -- he thought only of the students. And it wasn't until hours later the he noticed his ring was missing.

But on Friday, the hero got a new wedding ring -- for free. And that was just the start of it.

Jeweler Alvin Goldfarb in Bellevue heard about Olson's heroics and the lost ring, and presented him with the new wedding band.

And the jeweler threw one in for his wife, too.



She was so overwhelmed with emotion, she could hardly speak.

"Oh my Lord," she said. "So nice. Really didn't have to do that, it's so nice I'm shaking."

For the couple, the meaning of the day is twofold. The day Brady lost his wedding ring tackling the student, April 27, is also their son's birthday.

Inscribed inside the two new rings are the words "Always Remember" and the date.

"I could see my ring and it would remind me of the goodness that's out there, and I believe strongly in my heart there's a lot more good than bad," Olson said. "We just seem to hear about the bad more and that was the reason for the inscription, and it's going to be a powerful thing for my life."

Olson later was honored at Safeco Field and threw out the first pitch at Friday night's Mariners game.

"It wasn't my best, but your arm gets a little short when you go T-Rex out there. It gets a little nerve-wracking, but it was fun," Olson said.

Olson's wife, Shara, said there's been an "outpouring of love" from the people in the area since the day Olson tackled the student, possibly saving lives.

Olson added, "It reminds you of how caring the community is and how caring the people around you are and how giving people are, and that's a feeling I will not forget. It's something I will remember forever."