CHICAGO — Over 600 officers from the Chicago Police Department have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their community.
For more than two decades, the Ride to Remember has played a significant role in supporting not only the families of these fallen heroes but also those whose lives have been irreversibly impacted by catastrophic injuries.
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This past Sunday, the roar of hundreds of motorcycles filled the air as riders gathered for the annual Chicago Police Memorial Foundation Ride to Remember, a cherished tradition that honors the city’s brave law enforcement officers.
Participants embarked on their journey from a parking lot at the United Center, navigating through the city’s streets before concluding their ride on Waldron Drive, just in front of the iconic Soldier Field.
“It was a great day for it. Thank God everybody got here safe,” expressed Vince Alvarez, a retired officer from the Cicero Police Department.
This annual event is eagerly anticipated by its participants and serves as a vital initiative to support the Gold Star families of the Chicago Police Department.
“Those are families that have a gap in their heart, that have lost something, and we want to fill that gap. We want to help them,” said George Velazquez with the Christ for Life Motorcycle Ministry.
That help comes not just in the form of a shared camaraderie but in the funds the event raises to support the families, and in particular, the children of CPD officers who have either died or been severely injured in the line of duty.
“These families need this. They need it dramatically,” said Chicago Police Memorial Foundation Executive Director Art Hannus.
A brief ceremony and wreath-laying honoring them followed Sunday’s ride.
Sandra Wortham is not just the president of the foundation’s executive board. She’s a Gold Star family member herself.
Her brother was Thomas Wortham IV, killed just over 16 years ago as four men tried to rob him of his motorcycle outside of his parents’ home.
“I do it, of course, to honor my brother, but not just my brother, every single officer who has been killed in the line of duty, and every single officer who is still working to keep us safe,” she said.
Since its inception, the Chicago Memorial Foundation has raised close to $25 million for CPD families in need of assistance.
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