Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Time is growing short



Well I did not get to ride as much as I would have liked but I did get 30 miles in on Monday afternoon. I suppose that will have to do. I will rest the legs until the ride starts on Sunday. Monday evening I received a nice email from Chris Wilson's family saying that they would be attending Police Week events and they expressed a desire to meet while they are visiting Washington, D.C.
I spent close to 2 hours packing yesterday. When you do a ride this long with little support you have to remember to bring everything. My suitcase is filled to the brim. Saturday morning Juan, Sandy and I will leave approximately 0400 hours heading to Brunswick, GA. We should arrive at FLETC about 1430-1500 hours. I will update this blog as I can and time permits.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Officer Chris Wilson, San Diego Police Department EOW 10/28/2010

Today will be a short entry but I wanted to introduce the hero I will be riding for on this year's "Ride for Hope". I read about Chris last fall and talked with an officer who served with him in San Diego. I hope to meet his family in Washington at the end of the ride.

http://www.odmp.org/officer/20560-police-officer-christopher-alan-wilson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX39qnyZ7mU

Monday and Tuesday...days off...hope to knock out another 100 miles.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Why we do what we do.........




     I have been asked many times about why I would ride a bicycle so far for any reason. I guess I will answer that with a little history lesson. I became interested in cycling way back in 1989 when the mountain biking craze started to get going here on the East Coast. I was working a second shift job in the graphic arts field and could not play volleyball or softball leagues anymore due to scheduling.  I rode offroad exclusively not wanting to be apart of the "roadie" cycling scene and their tight bike shorts. I continued this trend until 2002, when I participated in a memorial ride on the first anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States. This ride was organized by fellow law enforcement officers from Northern Virginia. If I remember correctly, there were approximately 300 LEs, fire personnel, and medical staff who participated in this ride. We started out in Battery Park in N.Y.C. and spent the next four days riding through N.J., DE, MD. and arriving at the Pentagon on September 11, 2002 early in the afternoon. To this day "The Ride to Remember" was the most organized ride I have participated in.
In 2004, I heard about a ride called the Police Unity Tour. I walked down to Route 1 and watched a couple hundred LE cyclists ride by on their way to Washington D.C. They were riding to honor the memory of fallen LEs. What a cool way to pay tribute to these heroes. Little did I know that the next year I would be joining them.
    In 2005,  Deputy George Malcolm, a deputy sheriff from Fairfax County who had been a LOD death 100 years ago was being honored by having his name added to the Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial in Washington, D.C. that year. I was working at the ADC one day when the Vice President of the Deputy Sheriff's Coaliton asked me if I was riding in the Unity Tour and I said  I had not considered it. He asked me to think about it as the Coalition thought it would be a good idea to have a participant in the ride to honor Deputy Malcolm's memory. Since it was already March and way past the deadline to sign up, I contacted the PUT VA President Scott Humphries inquired about joining up. Initially he said that I could not ride because funding would have to be raised on such short notice. When I said the Coalition's check would be in the mail the next morning, I was in.....That year, another deputy and myself rode our first tour. In the 6 years since that first tour, our team has averaged 13 members either riding or doing the tough support jobs of the tour. Our team has collectively raised over $60,000 for the memorial in DC and now for C.O.P.S. and ODMP.  In 2009, I was honored by PUT Chapter IV for riding 5 years and 1250 miles.
   In 2010,  I decided to join a group of LEO cyclists who were raising money to honor fallen officers in another way. This organization is called Law Enforcement United and all the money raised goes to support two organizations Concerns for Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) and the Officer Down Memorial Page website. Last year our donation funded the survivor's camp held in Wisconsin last July. Since then the family of a VA. State Trooper who was killed in the late 1980s donated 170+ acres in Amelia County, VA to build a camp here for use by the survivor families of line of duty deaths. We hope to break ground in 2016-17.
    I will turn 50 years old in May and decided to do something big to celebrate. I have decided to ride with the Federal Officers of the LEU on "the Long Ride" from FLETC in Brunswick, GA to Cheapeake, VA where they will link up with the rest of the LEU and ride on to the Pentagon in Northern Va.
All totaled up, approximately 1100 miles give or take......stay tuned.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Tribute to Rob Moorhead

Below is a link to a press release from the Louisiana State Police regarding the accident involving FLETC Long Rider Rob Moorhead.

I don't know how much y'all may have known about Rob in the short time he was with us, and how many of you have read the CBP press release, but to summarize (and to include some other info I know):: Rob served 26 years of active and reserve duty in the US Marine Corp, primarily as a roto-wing pilot. He served in Desert Storm and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. He had joined the U.S. Customs Service in 1987 and was stationed in their Air and Marine Branch as a pilot. He flew various helicopters as well as some aircraft. Although born and raised in Maryland, he went to college in Louisiana and lived there after graduation. He leaves a wife of 25 years, Julie, and their 4 children.  After retiring from U.S. Customs, Rob worked as a heli-pilot for a medical evacuation service.
  
Even after his death, Rob was helping people - as per his wishes, his wife donated his organs. So, there are people living today who are thankful towards a man they never met. I can tell you from the 4+ years we have participated in the FLETC (& PUT/LEU) ride with Rob - that beneath a gruff exterior he was all about helping others.

With Sad News

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the death of James "Rob" Moorehead. Rob is one of our LEU Members, and was preparing for the upcoming  eight-day FLETC ride when he was struck by a vehicle while on a training ride in St.Helena Parrish,LA., and succumed to his injuries.