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A shoutout for Ella and Carlos
Lodge 7 golf outing culminates with a rousing tribute
n BY KYLE FURMAN
Members rose from their seats and erupted with clapping hands and loud chants of “Junior, Junior, Junior” when Carlos Yanez Jr. appeared on the screen. The chant continued to roar for more than 30 seconds.
This was the type of energy that seemed to give the 2021 Chica- go Lodge 7 Golf Outing a higher sense of purpose. Members and FOP supporters showed up in droves to back the blue, despite the recent law enforcement tragedy that left them reeling.
The event, which was created over 41 years ago by Detective Thomas J. Skelly and is played in his memory, brought hundreds of participants and volunteers to the fairways and greens of Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Lemont.
Before stepping onto the course, a large portion of attendees put on their commemorative Ella French T-shirts, which were pro- vided at the event to honor their sister. French was lost in the same incident that catastrophically injured Yanez. It was a remarkable expression of unity that gave the outing unprecedented emotion.
Once play began, members of Lodge 7 spent the sunny after- noon enjoying a round of 18 holes while building camaraderie among their fellow active and retired Chicago Police Officers.
After players finished their rounds and tallied their scores, the biggest moment of the event unfolded. Participants and volunteers alike gathered for the traditional golf outing buffet dinner, where raffle prizes were given out and other noteworthy announcements were made.
But in a truly memorable scene, Ella French’s mother, Eliza- beth French, who attended the event, was honored and met with a standing round of applause. Elizabeth looked around the room, and with clear emotion in her face, raised her hand and nodded her head in recognition of all the support she was receiving.
After members learned that Yanez had just been relocated to a rehab center and celebrated his seven-year anniversary of joining the Chicago PD, they had the opportunity to see him on a monitor set up for the video call.
Elizabeth French acknowledges the crowd after receiving a standing ova- tion at the Chicago Lodge 7 Golf Outing.
52 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ SEPTEMBER 2021
Chicago Lodge 7 members stand and cheer for Officer Carlos Yanez Jr. during a video call at the golf outing.
In the end, under the guidance of second-year Committee Chairman Steve Olsen, who took over after John Capparelli retired in early 2020, the event was a huge success. Members walked away from the 2021 Chicago Lodge 7 Golf Outing with raffle prizes, full stomachs and a much-needed mental health break.