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On Friday ILCOPS (Illinois Concerns
of Police Survivors) cyclists made their traditional mid-day stop at
the Lincoln Rural Fire Protection District. The group of nearly 130
people including 94 cyclists and numerous support team members and
escorts enjoyed a hearty lunch provided by Eminence Church in Rural
Atlanta. The Atlanta Rotary Club provided grilled pork chops while
Heather Cosby of Flossie & Delzena’s in Lincoln catered the balance
of the meal. Eminence church members also provided a large variety
of cookies for the cyclists to enjoy after their meal.
Also assisting with the lunch service were volunteers from Jefferson
Street Church in Lincoln.
The cyclists rolled into the
parking lot at the LRFPD at 11:02 a.m. – two minutes behind schedule
according to the voice on the loudspeaker. For such a warm day in
July, the group appeared to be keeping close to the schedule without
an excessive amount of heat stress. None the less, the first thing
most of the participants did after parking their bikes was to visit
the coolers of bottled water being unloaded into the parking lot.
Then they moved into the LRFPD building where the food was ready to
be served.
Before eating, ILCOPS
vice-president Mike McTighe called the group to order then spoke
briefly about how good it is to have the gift of a hearty meal. He
said that the Eminence Church was responsible for this strong
showing of support and as a thank-you the 2025 cyclists had all
signed a group photo which had been framed and was then presented to
the church’s pastor Henry Johnson and church member Marsha Fernandes
who sparked the idea with her church several years ago.
McTighe also presented a second
signed and framed 2025 group photo to LRFPD Chief Chris Buse as a
thank you for continually opening up the large department building
for the noon stop over the past several years.
Pastor Johnson then asked the
blessing on the noon day meal and McTighe said that all those
cyclists who have “pedaled every mile thus far” would be the first
one to get into the food line.
In many years, the cyclists begin the long week with a ceremonial
“dip of the wheel” in the Mississippi River in Alton. The group then
cycles northward with the goal of arriving at Police Headquarters in
Chicago.
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This year though
the annual ride actually began in Champaign. According to
McTighe it was decided seven years ago that the ride would make
stops throughout their journey in the hometown communities where
officers had been lost in the line of duty. This year the most
southern community was Cerro Gordo in Piatt County. Therefore
the bikes pushed off from Champaign for the first day, departing
at 6:30 a.m. and arriving at the Cerro Gordo High School at 10
a.m. where they remembered Trooper Corey Thompson whose end of
watch came on October 18, 2024.
The group traveled from Champaign to Springfield on Thursday and
then on Friday left Springfield with the end of day goal being
an overnight stay at Illinois State University in Normal.
On Saturday, the group plan is to travel to Ottawa where they
will remember Illinois Department of Corrections Officer Sgt.
Andrew Faught. The group will spend the night in DeKalb
On Sunday the group will move on to Dekalb and remember Dekalb
County Sheriff Deputy Christian Musil. The next stop will be
Downers Grove to honor Illinois State Police Trooper Clay Carnes
whose end of watch came on December 23, 2024.
Others to be remembered on Sunday will include Cook County
Sheriff Department Deputy Rafael Wordlaw in Maywood, and Oak
Park Police Department Detective Allan Reddins in Chicago.
The purpose of the annual Cycle Across Illinois event is to
raise awareness for fallen police officers and their families
and to garner financial support for the ILCOPS many programs.
Included in those programs is a National Peer Support system
where that officers are called to show support for families who
are suffering a loss. The gentleness and understanding of fellow
police officers in the days immediately following a loss are
vital to bereaved families.
The same group also launches card campaigns and offers a
shoulder when survivors need reinforcement but do not feel they
can lay that added burden on fellow family members who are also
suffering.
The ILCOPS also supports the Survivor Weekends and camps for
young survivors. Again a peer-based program that permits young
people to air out their feelings to others who are going through
the same thing and seek emotional reinforcement for the
challenges they are dealing with as a surviving child.
ILCOPS also assists families with education needs for youth such
as tuition free programs specifically designed for law
enforcement surviving children.
If you are interested in supporting ILCOPS, you may wish to
visit the ILCOPS website where there are a number of methods in
which to make your donation today.
https://www.ilcops.org/show-support
To learn more about ILCOPS and their work in Illinois visit
their website.
https://www.ilcops.org/
Nila Smith
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