Monday, July 10 marks the start of the 16th annual Cops Cycling for Survivors bicycle ride around Indiana. A departure ceremony is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. at the Police and Fire Fighters Memorial on the Capital grounds in downtown Indianapolis. The cyclists will depart shortly after keynote comments by Howard County Sheriff, Steve Rogers. After the 9 a.m. departure from the memorial, the cyclists will head north to Kokomo where they will meet with Deputy Carl Koontz’s family, friends and co-workers to honor and remember his ultimate sacrifice for Hoosiers on March 20, 2016. The cyclists’ journey will last 13 days and cover nearly 1,000 miles bicycling the perimeter of Indiana honoring fallen police officers and their families.
On Day 1, the group is biking through Hamilton County on the way to Kokomo to honor Deputy Carl Koontz. Photos and recordings are welcome as the route comes up Meridian Street, heads east on 116th Street, turns north on Hazel Dell Parkway, and then heads across SR 32.
The 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. 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, Project Blue Light at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy has been supported.
The ride concludes the afternoon of Saturday, July 22 at Crown Hill Cemetery, Heroes of Public Safety Section. The closing ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. Cops Cycling for Survivors President, Rich Crawford, will provide the closing message. All are welcome to attend.
There was a stationary ride fundraising event on Monument Circle in front of Emmis Communication on Friday, July 7.
The general route of the ride will be as follows:
- Day 1, Monday, July 10 – Indianapolis to Kokomo
- Day 2, Tuesday, July 11 – Kokomo to Bluffton
- Day 3, Wednesday, July 12 – Bluffton to Angola
- Day 4, Thursday, July 13 – Angola to Mishawaka
- Day 5, Friday, July 14 – Mishawaka to Merrillville
- Day 6, Saturday, July 15 – Merrillville to Kentland
- Day 7, Sunday, July 16 – Kentland to Terre Haute
- Day 8, Monday, July 17 – Terre Haute to Princeton
- Day 9, Tuesday, July 18 – Princeton to Huntingburg
- Day 10, Wednesday, July 19 – Huntingburg to Jeffersonville
- Day 11, Thursday, July 20 – Jeffersonville to Madison
- Day 12, Friday, July 21 – Madison to Bloomington
- Day 13, Saturday, July 22 – Bloomington to Indianapolis
By early July, additional information on specific locations of meals and overnights can be found online at http://www.copscycling4survivors.org/events.php. Click on the Calendar tab, click View Calendar and the month of July. To track the ride’s progress, stops and activities, please like and follow them on the Cops Cycling for Survivors Foundation Facebook page.
Hamilton County is represented again this year with 11 riders joining the event. Donations can be made to Cops Cycling on behalf of the Hamilton County group. A special thanks to Hot Box Pizza in Carmel for donating lunch as the group bikes through Hamilton County on Day 1 of the ride. 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. at (317) 650-8961.