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More than 6,000 Chicago Po-
lice Officers have been able to
procure new bullet-proof vests
as a result of the CPMF “Get
Behind The Vest” campaign
that began in September 2014.
Intel that so many officers were
still using body armor they received
at the academy and were suffering through ill-fitting, out- of-date vests led the Foundation to its most significant safety-related initiative ever.
The initial goal was to fund 8,000 vests in five years. From Mike Brady making the initial $10,000 donation to honor his father, Detective Charles Brady, who was killed in the line of duty, to businesses like Firehouse Subs to elected officials like Alderman Matt O’Shea who hosts a pancake breakfast fundraiser for the cause each year to schools throughout the city holding fundraisers, such support will enable the Foundation to surpass the goal in 2017. So the CPMF has upped its commitment to fund at least 500 new vests each year so no officer has to go out on the street without body armor to get them home safe.
“There’s a lot of cops out there with vests that are 10 years old, so thank God we haven’t had one fail,” Cline warns. “Let’s protect those who protect us by giving every officer a chance to get a new vest.”
The Gift of H oliday C heer
If the CPMF’s annual Operation San- ta caravan only spread the holiday spirit by giving Christmas pres-
ents to the children of fallen and catastrophically injured offi-
cers, it would be enough.
If Santa and Mrs. Claus making their annual pilgrim-
age to Chicago each year for Operation Santa and bringing
some holiday spirit into homes
at a time of year when families miss their officer most, it would be enough.
If the officers from the district where their
sister or brother served came to each house on the two- day Operation Santa procession to do a roll call, it would be enough.
But what Operation Santa brings most is smiles. Chil- dren smile because the event puts the merry back in Christmas for them. The officers smile because they know they have honored their colleague. Wives, husbands, mothers and fathers and other family members smile be- cause it reminds them of what their loved one stood for.
“It brings back the memories,” Nauden confesses. “Sometimes my kids get a little sad, but this lets them know that their dad is being honored for how he worked and what he believed in, and it’s a real positive to know
Season of Giving g
to The
gPolice
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ DECEMBER 2016 39
f a l l e n