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Honoring Our Heroes
The nearly 1,000 people who attended the fundraiser raised a toast to fallen officer Ella French and injured officer Carlos Yanez Jr. as a combined Chicago Police and Fire departments pipes and drums band played “Amazing Grace.”
Cheers to Them
Colleagues, friends and family members gather to raise funds and continue to honor fallen offifficer Ella French and injured offifficer Carlos Yanez Jr.
n BY ROSEMARY AN
It was a wake, in every sense of the word. There was crying. There was laughing. And there was hope.
After the burial of fallen officer Ella French on Aug. 19, colleagues, friends and family gathered at Plumbers Hall next door to Chicago Lodge 7 to take the edge off a day of devastation and saying farewell. And it was also a way to raise money for the fallen officer’s family, as well as for Carlos Yanez Jr., who was shot and critically wounded in the same incident.
“Every responding officer that night is go- ing to be scarred forever,” Lodge 7 President John Catanzara said to the crowd. “We need the support network today and every day going forward.”
The fundraiser raised more than $20,000 for the French and Yanez families, including from selling various shirts commemorating the two officers.
A portion of the donations came through
a silent auction of autographed Chica- go Bears and Chicago Blackhawks jerseys and other collectibles provided by Chicago Police Officer Jim Calace, who has given similar support to many events run by the Brotherhood for the Fallen, as this one was.
“We had about 50 items,” Calace men- tioned. “It’s something that I’m blessed to be able to do.”
Calace, who has been on the job for 30 years, believed holding a silent auction would be a great way to raise funds for his colleagues.
“I don’t hesitate for things like this,” Cal- ace relayed. “I don’t mind going into my pocket. Even though I’ve been the police, I have a little business on the side, I have friends, I’m in a better position to help peo- ple out financially as well.”
Meanwhile, a video played on screen of people who attended the burial for French. Her brother Andrew made a toast to his sis- ter. And two hours in, members of a com-
bined CPD and CFD pipes and drums band performed a set to honor French and Yanez. Then, Yanez’s father, retired CPD officer Carlos Yanez Sr., took the stage. He declared the police are being blamed for not doing their job when that couldn’t be further from
the truth.
“All over the country, more people are
attacking the police,” Carlos Sr. explained. “There are a lot of good people out there, and they’ve got to start standing up.”
The elder Yanez then put his son, who was in the hospital, on FaceTime. And long- time family friend and retired CPD officer Lou Garcia took a moment to mention that he always knew the father–son duo would be amazing officers.
40 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ SEPTEMBER 2021