COPS Walk Harpers Ferry 2016
We made a trip to
COPS Walk Harpers Ferry for the first time in October 2016 for the Concerns of
Police Survivors fundraiser. This was
the 12th Annual COPS Walk Harpers Ferry.
About 50 fantastic participants walked a total of 25 miles for the
weekend. In total, over $95,000 was raised for the C.O.P.S. Hands-On Programs,
which provides Law Enforcement survivors with grief counseling and much needed
support. It was an incredible weekend with great people. It was great to see some old friends and make
a lot of new ones!
Thanks to all of the
walkers, sponsors, and supporters. I feel blessed to have been a part of this
event. I took about 250 images from this
awesome event! What an honor and
privilege! Special thanks to those in
law enforcement and the volunteers who helped with the event!
Concerns
of Police Survivors
“Each
year, between 140 and 160 officers are killed in the line of duty and their
families and co-workers are left to cope with the tragic loss. C.O.P.S.
provides resources to help them rebuild their shattered lives. There is no
membership fee to join C.O.P.S., for the price paid is already too high.
C.O.P.S.
was organized in 1984 with 110 individual members. Today C.O.P.S. membership is
over 37,000 families. Members include spouses, children, parents, siblings,
significant others, and affected co-workers of officers killed in the line of
duty according to Federal government criteria. C.O.P.S. is governed by a
National Board of law enforcement survivors. All programs and services are
administered by the National Office in Camdenton, Missouri. C.O.P.S. has over
50 Chapters nationwide that work with survivors at the grass-roots level.
C.O.P.S.
programs for survivors include the National Police Survivors' Conference held
each May during National Police Week, scholarships, peer-support at the
national, state, and local levels, "C.O.P.S. Kids" counseling
reimbursement program, the "C.O.P.S. Kids" Summer Camp,
"C.O.P.S. Teens" Outward Bound experience for young adults, special
retreats for spouses, parents, siblings, adult children, in-laws, and
co-workers, trial and parole support, and other assistance programs.
C.O.P.S.
knows that a survivor's level of distress is directly affected by the agency's
response to the tragedy. C.O.P.S., therefore, offers training and assistance to
law enforcement agencies nationwide on how to respond to the tragic loss of a
member of the law enforcement profession. C.O.P.S. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization. C.O.P.S. programs and services are funded by grants and
donations.”
COPS WALK Harpers Ferry
The annual COPS WALK
Harpers Ferry will bring together survivors, friends and members of the law
enforcement community who are willing to take on the challenge of walking 25
miles in two days to support Concerns of Police Survivors.
The goal is to fundraise
for C.O.P.S.’ Hands-On Programs. These
programs allow C.O.P.S. to host camps for fallen officers’ kids, and retreats
for spouses, siblings, parents and other survivors. The walk is designed to provide participants
with a physical challenge as well as the opportunity to spend time with
survivors, law enforcement officers, and friends walking in memory of loved
ones, or co-workers. This walk is not
timed; it is not a race.
2016 Line of Duty Deaths: 102
As of 10/22/16
Assault: 2
Drowned: 2
Gunfire: 46
Heart attack: 5
Stabbed: 1
By Month
January: 5
February: 10
March: 16
April: 2
May: 7
June: 10
July: 19
August: 10
September:
15
October: 8
By State
Alabama: 1
Arizona: 1
Arkansas: 2
California: 8
Colorado: 3
Florida: 2
Georgia: 3
Illinois: 3
Indiana: 1
Iowa: 3
Kansas: 3
Louisiana: 8
Maryland: 3
Michigan: 4
Mississippi: 1
Missouri: 2
New Jersey: 1
New Mexico: 2
New York: 1
North Dakota: 1
Ohio: 5
Oregon: 1
Pennsylvania: 1
Puerto Rico: 4
Tennessee: 5
Texas: 17
Utah: 1
Virginia: 3
Wisconsin: 1
By Gender
Male: 97
Female: 5
Statistics
Average age:
41
Average tour
of duty: 13 years, 2 months
“A physical
challenge, an emotional high, and the opportunity to help C.O.P.S.
We never walk alone.”
Listed below are links to some of
my other Law Enforcement themed blogs:
You can go here to see the
complete list of my blogs:
Law Enforcement United
Law Enforcement United made
their six annual 250-mile journey, the “Road to Hope” from Chesapeake,
Virginia, to the World War II Memorial during National Police Week 2015. Before presenting C.O.P.S. with $175,000, the
bicyclists rode in honor of the law enforcement heroes that died in the line of
duty and in support of the survivors. The contributions from LEU’s ride are used to
fund costs for C.O.P.S. Kids Summer Camp and other C.O.P.S. Kids programs. LEU has had volunteers at C.O.P.S Kids Camp
and have sponsored and volunteered at events like COPS WALK. C.O.P.S. is
honored to have such wonderful support from LEU.
http://www.leunited.org 
Ride4Cops
Former police
officer, Harry Herington, made a promise to his partners just as thousands of
officers do today – "If something happens to me, take care of my
family."
Today as the
CEO of NIC Inc., he continues that promise with Ride4Cops – an initiative to
support the families of fallen officers.
The Memorial
Bike is a customized Harley-Davidson honoring our nation's fallen heroes –
those law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty. The bike
includes details such as a flag flying at half-staff and a depiction of St.
Michael, the Archangel, patron saint of police officers.
"Mothers
of fallen officers have placed their hand on the painting of St. Michael and
wept," says Harry Herington, NIC CEO and Ride4Cops founder. "In those
moments I wish Ride4Cops could do even more, and it strengthens my resolve to
make sure their loved one and all of the fallen heroes are not forgotten."
Throughout the
Ride4Cops journey, the Memorial Bike has become a traveling memorial. At each
event family members and friends have donated mementoes from their loved on to
travel on the motorcycle. Mini-badges of fallen officers are displayed and the
bike's compartment carries pictures drawn by fallen officers' children.
"I have
had people remove a bracelet or take a photo of their loved one from their
wallet, telling me it's been with them since their son, daughter, or spouse
passed away," says Harry Herington, NIC CEO and Ride4Cops founder. "I
know when I ride the Memorial Bike I'm paying tribute to so many heroes."
Streamlight
Streamlight is a strong
corporate sponsor of Concerns of Police Survivors and has shown its support
since 1999. In 2015, Streamlight had
pledged $100,000 to underwrite many C.O.P.S. events such as the May 14 C.O.P.S.
National Police Survivors’ Conference lunch during National Police Week.
Streamlight is again, the Gold Sponsor for the 4th Annual COPS WALK SOUTHWEST
in February 2015, and is the Lead Sponsor for the October 2015 COPS WALK
Harpers Ferry. Their generous donation
also provides travel assistance to underprivileged survivors to help them get
to C.O.P.S.’ Hands-On Programs and gifts for all survivors attending the
Hands-On Programs. Streamlight is also
the major sponsor for the 2015 Co-Workers Retreat, Co-Workers for Couples
Retreat, C.O.P.S. Kids Camp and Outward Bound®.
With Streamlight’s dedicated funding, C.O.P.S. can continue its mission
of ”rebuilding shattered lives.”
C.O.P.S. thanks Streamlight for their unwavering support as proven by
their employees’ participation during National Police Week, and three COPS
WALKS in Harpers Ferry, St. Louis and Phoenix!
