On May 10th LAPD Olympic Division Officers, Sergeant Liguori, Sergeant Budek, Officer Cirrito, Officer Dawson and Senior Lead Officer Mollinedo will join nearly 1500 law enforcement officers from throughout the country who will bicycle nearly 300 miles, to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington DC. This year, the Police Unity Tour – Southern California Chapter, will have nearly 100 police officers representing the California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and police departments from Alhambra, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Los Angeles, Palos Verdes Estates, and Pasadena.
The riders will depart from Somerset, New Jersey and travel through Philadelphia, Baltimore, and ultimately into Washington DC. On May 13th, they will join over 50,000 people at the National Law Enforcement Memorial Candlelight Vigil. During the ceremony, the names of every officer who died in the line of duty during 2012 will be read and his/her name officially added to the Memorial, which already contains over 19,000 fallen heroes.
The primary purpose of the Police Unity Tour is to raise awareness about the police officers that have died in the line of duty. Their motto is, “We Ride For Those Who Died.” The secondary purpose is to raise funds for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Since its inception in 1997, the Police Unity Tour has raised over $10 million to support the Memorial.
Each rider must raise approximately $2500 dollars to participate in the tour. The first $1800 is paid to the Police Unity Tour. This money includes a $1000 donation to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and $800 to cover support services, ground transportation, overnight lodging, and food while they ride. The additional monies are needed to pay for airfare, uniforms, meals and additional costs each rider is responsible for.
Our LAPD Olympic Division has partnered with Goodwill industries who have agreed to donate a certain amount of money to each of the riders for the donated items they collect. Basically the more they collect, the more money they raise.
You can clean out your closets and garage and support your LAPD Officers as they prepare to bicycle from New Jersey to Washington DC to honor those officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. There will be a one day donation drive-thru at LAPD Olympic Community Station – where you can drop off your items for Goodwill. You don’t even have to get out of your car!
Click on link for – Goodwill Donation Guidelines
Police Unity Tour Goodwill Fundraiser
LAPD Olympic Division Community Station
1130 South Vermont Avenue
April 6th – 9AM-2PM
