This years marks the 15th annual Cops Cycling for Survivors bicycle ride around Indiana. Photo provided by the Indiana State Police
INDIANAPOLIS – Monday, July 11, 2016, marked the departure of the 15th annual Cops Cycling for Survivors bicycle ride around Indiana. This year’s ride celebrates 15 years of Gary Dudley’s vision of a ride to support law enforcement survivors and for the first time in 30 years, Indiana lost no officers to line of duty death in 2015. 2016 also honors ten years since Lt. Gary Dudley, Indiana State Police, and Deputy Chief Gary Martin, Lake County Sheriff’s Dept., were killed participating in the ride on August 22, 2006.
Cops Cycling for Survivors Foundation, Inc. annual bike ride consists of active and retired police officers, law enforcement survivors, law enforcement family members and friends of law enforcement riding their bicycles around the perimeter of Indiana to raise funds and awareness of the sacrifices made by Hoosier law enforcement families across Indiana. The cyclists’ journey will last 13 days and cover nearly 1,000 miles.
Funds raised from this event are used to perpetuate the memories of officers killed in the line-of-duty and to aid surviving family members and co-workers of officers killed in the line-of-duty. Previously raised funds have been directly donated to foundations, scholarships and camps that have been started in memory of fallen officers or by Indiana survivors in honor of their fallen heroes. In addition, funding has been donated to Concerns of Police Survivors, the Indiana Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors and Project Blue Light at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.
Thursday and Friday the police escorted cyclists, will be riding through our area. They will stopped for lunch at Rulli’s restaurant in Middlebury between Thursday. Their route then brought them down US 20 in Mishawaka to Fir Rd. and the Mishawaka Police Department Cpl. James Szuba crash site. The cyclists then proceeded to the Mishawaka Police Department, 200 N. Church St. for a memorial service. The riders will spent the night at Bethel College in Mishawaka before leaving for day 5 of their ride at 7:00 a.m. Friday morning.
The ride is scheduled to conclude on the afternoon of Saturday, July 23, 2016, at Crown Hill Cemetery, Heroes of Public Safety Section. The closing ceremony will begin at 2:00pm. Indianapolis Colts long snapper Matt Overton will provide the closing message and all are welcome to attend.
To track the ride’s progress, stops, and activities, please like and follow them on the Cops Cycling for Survivors Foundation Facebook page. For more information about the organization, donations made, or this year’s ride, visit their website: http://www.copscycling4survivors.org/ , or contact Rich Crawford, President of Cops Cycling for Survivors Foundation, Inc.
Cops Cycling for Survivors logo provided
