Remembering fallen comrades:Local officers participate in emotional ride
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Warren County High School resource officers Bobby Pennington and Alan Roberts embarked on a journey three weeks ago that they both said will change their lives forever.
Pennington and Roberts participated in the Police Unity Tour, a Memorial bicycle ride to honor law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.
“Alan and I went to school to get certified as police cyclists and we met instructor Buddy Clark, and he encouraged us to take part in the Police Unity Tour,” Pennington said of the duo’s involvement with the ride.
“He is with the Nashville officers, and we got with him and secured a spot to ride with the Virginia Chapter. In all there were 13 of us from the Nashville group. We trained through the winter, and I even bought a stationary bike. I thought we had some pretty big hills here, but Virginia was full of them — it was pretty tough.”
Pennington and Roberts, along with over 225 officers from the Virginia Chapter, started in Chesapeake, Va., and biked over 250 miles to the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. They then joined a force of over 900 officers and rode in a double formation to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Each officer participating in the bike tour was riding in honor of a fallen colleague.
“I was riding for a sheriff’s deputy by the name of Wesley Mack from Columbia, Georgia,” stated Pennington. ” He was a motorcycle officer and while merging into traffic he collided with an SUV, sustaining major injuries, and passed away a few days later.
“All of us riding with the Nashville group were also riding in honor of Nashville police officer Christy Dedman, who was killed back a few months ago.”
Roberts was riding for Melissa Foster from Columbus, Ohio, who was killed while responding to a domestic call.
“This was such an inspiring moment in my life,” Roberts said. “During the three-day ride you felt a variety of emotions. It felt like the person you were riding for had their hand on your back the whole way, giving you support.
“It was a pretty tough ride — not just physically, but mentally as well. It was a very overwhelming moment when we rode into the memorial and meeting the families of the officers your riding for. It put into perspective what this ride is all about. It wasn’t about the sacrifices we made preparing for this ride, or the money we spent. It was all about honoring fallen officers and their families. I want to do this every year, it’s that special.”
Each officer had to raise $1,250, with Pennington and Roberts getting support from the Warren County School board and director of schools Dr. Jerry Hale.
“We didn’t go out to solicit money,” Pennington noted. “Mr. Bennett and Dr. Hale allowed us to place change jugs in the school cafeteria and we also place some at ball games. We never asked anyone for money it was all donated and with the help of change from the kids at the high school and people at the ball games.
“We would like to thank everyone who helped us out. This ride was such an emotional roller-coaster, and knowing people here in Warren County helped us with this opportunity was even more of an inspiration. We would pull over at certain points during the ride and hold a moment of silence and learn of an officer being killed, sometimes on the spot where we were standing. It was truly an amazing adventure.”
The money raised from each year’s ride goes to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and the National Law Enforcement Museum. It also provides assistance and support to family members of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
415 names were added to the Memorial Wall this year, making a total of 17,081. Over 150 officers died in the line of duty in 2004. The state of Tennessee added 24, with seven officers being killed in 2004 and 17 others in recent years.
” It was an honor to be able to help our SRO officers with such a great opportunity,” Dr. Hale said. ” I think it well represents our school and students who have been so kind in helping out. They both have done an excellent job at the high school, and it just goes to show you how much these two individuals mean to the students and faculty.”
Pennington and Roberts are already making plans to make the trip next year and hope to pick up several major sponsors to help in this great cause.
How you can help
If you would like to sponsor officers Alan Roberts and Bobby Pennington of the Warren Co. Sherriff’s Department in next year’s Police Unity Tour, send your donations to:
Police Unity Tour,
PO Box 56385,
Virginia Beach, Va., 23456
or visit www.policeunitytour.org