The National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum will present a two-day "Weekend of Remembrance" this weekend.
The Weekend of Remembrance includes a memorial service and live reading of the names of 135 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2019, plus the names of 172 officers who died in previous years but whose stories of sacrifice had been lost to history until now, and whose names were engraved on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial walls in May 2020. The ceremony will be live-streamed on the Memorial's Facebook page beginning at 10 a.m. (EDT) on Sunday Oct. 11.
“Our mission is to honor the fallen, educate the public about the history of American law enforcement and make it safer for those who serve,” said National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund CEO Marcia Ferranto. “Even though we're in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, we wanted to make sure we fulfil our promise. The brave men and women in law enforcement are on the front lines of this global health crisis. It's critical to us that the public knows how selflessly these officers work to help keep the rest of us safe, often by putting themselves in harm's way."
On Saturday, October 10, the Memorial and Museum's annual National Run for the Badge 5K will take place remotely in cities across the country. Proceeds from this annual event benefits the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum's programs and commitment to educate the public about the history of American law enforcement. Runners of all abilities may participate remotely by forming a team, joining an existing team, or running independently. An awards ceremony will take place via Zoom beginning at 5 p.m.
Also taking place during the Weekend of Remembrance, will be the first National Faith & Blue Weekend. A joint effort between the nation's top law enforcement organizations and a diverse collection of houses of worship, Faith & Blue seeks to strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve through joint community projects.
On Sunday Oct. 11, officers will distribute care kits assembled by a team of dozens of volunteers from local law enforcement, faith, and civic communities to assist the homeless. The care kits will be distributed in several areas across the Washington, DC, area and on the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum campus.
"One of the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum's key goals has always been to provide a platform for dialogue between law enforcement and the communities they serve," said National Law Enforcement Museum Executive Director Thomas Canavan. "Our participation in Faith & Blue aligns perfectly with that goal. We are excited to bring together houses of worship of many faiths with our local law enforcement departments for the good of the communities where we all live and work."
For more information, go to NLEOMF's Facebook page.
