Page 40 - November 2019 FOP

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Once again, True Blue included a display of some of the de- partment’s special units and functions. Rangemasters attended to present a historical look at police firearms. SWAT and marine officers were on hand. And K-9 Officer Brian Towey was there with his partner, Potsie, whose obedience and loyalty is at the heart and soul of the department.
Potsie declined to comment, preferring to show his skills by tracking a department robotic device. But his partner was taken with the way attendees were impressed at seeing how the de- partment works.
“The way things are, the way people view the police, I think this is a great way for the community to interact with us and see that there’s more to it than what they just see on TV,” Towey commented.
Nelson Gongaoed, a sergeant assigned to O’Hare, also at- tended True Blue for the first time this year. He was filled with gratitude over the CPF working so hard to provide so many LE- MAR kits.
“I’m a big believer in the LEMAR training,” he related. “To have these sponsors who are willing to buy these packages that cost a lot of money, well, I can tell you it feels nice that some- one’s still in our corner, still backing the blue.”
Backing the blue manifested with passion when the auction- ing began. The first item up for bid was the opportunity to go on a ride-along in a CPD beat car. A bidding war actually broke out, and Mike Lall found this as the opportunity he had been looking for to support Chicago Police Officers. He paid more than $3,000 to ride along and conveyed that it was a priceless moment.
“We appreciate them more than they know,” he added. “The people who came out here really care, and we respect and cher- ish these men and women who wear the uniform every day.”
K-9 Officer Brian Towey and his partner, Potsie, chat with some of their ‘fans’ at the True Blue Event.
The donating seemed to culminate with the annual paddle auction, during which attendees were able to contribute from $100 to $2,500 to support providing more LEMAR kits. In a man- ner of minutes, nearly 500 kits were made possible. And as an encore, the department offered ride-alongs in a CPD helicopter, with the Marine Unit and the Mounted Unit.
Ryan Eichler, who works for Weber Shandwick, has seen the CPD helicopter at work securing events and thought about how cool it would be to go for a flight. After talking with officers at the start of the event, he was even more motivated to make a substantive bid to take the ride.
“Talking to these officers, I can see how much they care about the city, their jobs and keeping us safe,” Eichler emphasized. “They are really awesome.”
40 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ NOVEMBER 2019