Page 36 - November 2015

We
Salute
You
News and notes from the organizations that support Chicago law enforcement
The Chicago Police Memorial Founda- tion was created in 2004 to build the Gold Star Memorial honoring Chicago police officers killed in the line of duty. Each year, the Foundation holds a Gold Star Memorial to honor those officers and their families.
Cops are the ‘lifeblood’ of Chicago Police Memorial Foundation
More than any other profession, police offi- cers go out of their way to support the safety, health and well-being of their colleagues. The tendency for officers to give so freely of their time, talent and resources to help an officer in need is not unique to law enforcement.
The same generosity runs deep in the mili-
tary and among all first responders. That’s
understandable. Soldiers, police officers, firefighters and paramedics are keenly aware of the physical and mental strain that being there on the worst day of someone else’s life, day-in and day-out, takes on their bodies and their souls. First responders, police officers especial- ly, understand the importance of looking out for one another because so often, it can be a matter of life or death.
That “I got your back” spirit embodies itself in countless ways. Notably, that generous spirit gives life to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation.
The Foundation was founded in 2004 with a singular purpose: to design and construct a memorial on Chicago’s lakefront honoring the hundreds of Chicago Police officers killed in the line of duty. It relied heavily on the generosity of current and former Chicago police offi- cers who opened their wallets willingly and helped raise more than $3.5 million to design and construct the memorial.
“It’s simple to us. The generosity of Chicago Police officers is one of the single driving factors that helped us get that memorial built,” said Chicago Police Memorial Foundation Executive Director Phil Cline. “Without the thousands of cops who gave, I am not sure the memorial would have happened.”
Having built and dedicated the memorial in 2006, the Foundation soon learned that there was more that could be done to support the
families and loved ones of fallen Chicago police officers.
Families needed emotional support. They needed to be connected with other families that have experienced the same kind of loss. And they needed financial support to pay the bills, cover funeral expenses
and to educate the children these heroes left behind.
So, in 2007, the Foundation created “The Mission Beyond the Memorial” to provide financial assistance to families of officers killed in the line of duty. One of the most significant ways it assists is by cov- ering tuition expenses for children of fallen or catastrophically injured officers. The Foundation has supported the education of 76 children
from 44 families thus far.
To date, the Foundation has also provided $6.7 million in financial
assistance to the families of Chicago’s fallen and catastrophically injured heroes. Every cent of funds raised through payroll deduction goes directly to support police officers’ families.
The primary source of those funds comes through the millions of dollars raised by and from Chicago police officers who opted in on the Foundation’s payroll deduction program. Participating officers des- ignate an amount that is deducted from their paychecks. That amount is donated directly to the Foundation.
Currently, nearly 7,000 officers are supporting the Foundation’s mission via payroll deduction. And, amazingly, those and other offi- cers that have since retired, have contributed more than $5.3 million to the Foundation.
Cline pointed out that while major gifts from corporate donors are vital, the Foundation thrives based on the everyday generosity of the same officers it supports.
“There is little doubt that Chicago Police officers are the lifeblood of the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation. We know that cops have a reputation of being pretty tight and that reputation is well earned,” joked Cline. “But, in the 10 years I have been at this, I have yet to
36 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ NOVEMBER 2015