Attendees of the first ever Bradley University Police Department Blue Ribbon Race were shown firsthand how their support of a charity for fallen police officers makes a difference.
The five-kilometer race took place on Saturday as a part of Family Weekend. The proceeds from the run benefitted the organization Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) to help support families of officers who have died in the line of duty.
Sophomore Conor McEntee and his mother, Mary McEntee, were recognized at the race.
McEntee, a journalism major from Saint Louis, was just seven years old when his father, Sgt. William McEntee, was shot and killed in the line of duty.
“There was a lot of changes that day,” said Mary McEntee, widow of William McEntee. “There was a lot emotion. Your whole dynamics change. You don’t know where to go.”
After the loss of her husband, Mary McEntee used the services of C.O.P.S.
“C.O.P.S. stepped in,” McEntee said. “I cannot say enough about what this organization has done for me. They have so many support systems for families.”
One of the ways C.O.P.S. supported the McEntee family was the kids camp, at which all three of the McEntee boys attended several times. The camp had a long lasting impact on Conor.
“I was really young, being just seven when it happened,” Conor McEntee said. “Just seeing kids there that had been through the same thing as I had made us form a special bond.”
Another way the organization supports families affected is through an adult retreat each year in Missouri, where spouses of fallen officers come from all over the country.
“In 2007, there [were] 98 of us. I went last year, now there [are] 200,” Mary McEntee said. “Unfortunately, a lot of police officers are dying in the line of duty.”
According to event organizer Lt. Sean Savage, it made a huge difference having a personal connection to C.O.P.S. for people to see.
“I personally have a little experience with C.O.P.S., but nowhere near the impact Conor did,” Savage said. “As soon as I found out, I knew I wanted him and his mother here. It is personal to every cop, but to have a family here who is willing to talk about this and support it in the way they did is incredible.”
Being the first race put on by BUPD and with plans for this event to continue next year, Savage said there is room for improvement.
“There is a lot to learn about organizing races, but I think I am just going to stick to copping as a career,” Savage said.
The event had 59 runners and raised $500, enough for Savage to call the event a success. Of the 59 runners, some ran wearing police vests weighing up to 24 pounds.
“The whole goal behind it was to support C.O.P.S as much as possible,” Savage said. “We had a lot of generous donations.”
