Indianapolis, IN –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.
Today and Friday the cyclists, who will be police escorted, will be riding through our area. They will stop for lunch at Rulli’s restaurant, 851 US 20, Middlebury between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. (media interviews available). Their route will then bring them down US 20 in Mishawaka to Fir Rd. and the Mishawaka Police Department Cpl. James Szuba crash site. The cyclists will then proceed to the Mishawaka Police Department, 200 N. Church St. for a memorial service between 2:45 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. (media interviews available). The riders will spend the night at Bethel College in Mishawaka before leaving for day 5 of their ride at 7:00 a.m. (media interviews available at 6:30 a.m. Friday)
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 EDT. Indianapolis Colts long snapper Matt Overton will provide the closing message. All are welcome to attend.
Additional information on specific locations of meals and overnights can be found by clicking on the Calendar tab of the website. Click view calendar and the month of July. http://www.copscycling4survivors.org/events.php
To track the ride’s progress, stops, and activities, please like and follow them on the Cops Cycling for Survivors Foundation Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/Cops-Cycling-for-Survivors-195826717113332/?fref=ts
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.
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