Area cyclists join Police Unity Tour

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The tour slogan is,
'We ride for those
who died.'

By PETER H. MILLIKEN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

HREE RESIDENTS OF THE
Mahoning and Shenango valleys will be participating this week in a three-day, 240-mile bicycle tour in memory of law enforcement officers killed while on duty.

Sgt. David Oaks of the Hubbard City Police Department, Mahoning County deputy sheriff David Moss of Canfield, and Todd Logan of Volant, Pa., a retired Virginia Beach, Va., police officer, will depart today for Portsmouth, Va., where the ride, known as the Police Unity Tour, will begin Thursday.

"It's important for the nation to remember the officers and remember the sacrifice that they made and to make sure that they're not forgotten," Oaks said.

Oaks, Moss and Logan will be among more than 250 riders making the trip from Portsmouth, Va., to Washington, D.C. On Saturday, the group will converge at the Pentagon with two other groups, one with about 350 riders and the other with more than 250 riders, both originating in New Jersey.

After a brief ceremony at the Pentagon in memory of those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the three groups will ride together to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Judiciary Square for a ceremony in memory of fallen law enforcement officers.

Candlelight vigil

Oaks, who is riding on the tour for the third consecutive year, said he also plans to attend an annual candlelight vigil at the memorial Sunday evening. Thousands attend that vigil, where Oaks will usher surviving family members of fallen officers to their seats.

The tour, whose slogan is "We ride for those who died," is a fundraiser for the operation and maintenance of the marble memorial, which is inscribed with the names of more than 16,000 officers killed on duty since 1792. Dedicated in 1991, the memorial is on E Street, between Fourth and Fifth streets northwest.

"Every day, there are officers who go out on the street and put their lives on the line for the citizens of the community where they work, and, unfortunately some of those officers lose their lives. And it's very important for everybody to remember them," Oaks said. The best way to ensure that fallen officers aren't forgotten is to keep the memorial up to date, he added.

The annual tour has raised more than $3 million for the memorial since the first ride in 1997. Riders must be active or retired law enforcement officers, and each rider must raise from sponsors a minimum of $1,250. The tour's goal is to donate at least $1 million a year to the memorial. The tour also raises money for scholarships and other assistance for surviving family members of fallen officers.

Plans are under way to add to the memorial a $25 million National Law Enforcement Officers Museum to open in 2009. Ground is to be broken for the museum this year.

Background

Riders, who will try for an average of 15 mph, will go 110 miles on the first day and 65 miles each on the second and third days, staying in hotels in Richmond and Fredericksburg en route. Their luggage will be hauled by truck.

This year, Oaks will be riding in memory of Detective Kenneth P. Wilcox of the Albany, N.Y., Police Department, who died in an automobile accident while conducting an investigation April 26, 2006.

"I get the satisfaction of knowing that, every time I do this, more people understand and more people remember," Oaks said. Oaks, who trained for the ride on local bicycle trails, added that he has met fellow officers from throughout the country on the tour, ranging from White House SWAT team members to detectives from Hawaii.

Of approximately 740,000 law enforcement officers in the United States, more than 62,000 are assaulted each year, 21,000 are injured annually and one is killed nearly every other day, according to Police Unity Tour officials.

Oaks said people wishing to donate to the cause should contact him at the Hubbard City Police Department or Moss at the Mahoning County Sheriff's Department or visit www.policeunitytour.org.

milliken@vindy.com

Wednesday, May 9, 2007