April 3rd, 2018 by WCBC Radio

On May 10, 2018, 880 local, state and federal law enforcement officers, family members, survivors, citizen supporters and other public safety personnel will begin an annual bicycle journey. They will pedal hundreds of miles from various locations into Washington, DC in honor of the law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty; this annual journey is referred to as the “Road to Hope”.

Last year, 134 police officers and 24 police K9s lost their lives in the line of duty. The Maryland Division of Law Enforcement United will begin their leg of the journey in the City of Cumberland. The Maryland Division, also known as the “Ruff Ride” provides special recognition along their journey to the law enforcement K9s that have been killed in the line of duty assisting their handlers. Members wear dog tags, each with the name of a K9 killed over the past year. Participants on this leg of the journey consist of 47 riders and 11 support personnel from states as far away as Arizona, Colorado and Florida.

The officers will pedal the entire length, 184.5 miles, of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Trail, converging simultaneously with the other divisions of the organization in Washington, DC on May 12th. This is the 5th year of the C&O Canal Trail route and the 9th year Law Enforcement United has been making the bicycle trek to Washington, DC. Law Enforcement United is 100% volunteer, has no paid staff and has been awarded the “Platinum Level Seal of Transparency” by non-profit watchdog “Guidestar” for their commitment to transparency. Any donated monies support funding for the annual Concerns of Police Survivors Kids Camp, the operating costs of and programs supported by the Officer Down Memorial Page, and the Spirit of Blue Foundation, which provides training and equipment to ill-funded law enforcement agencies. Every donation is truly valued.

The public is invited to attend a “Send-Off” ceremony that will begin on Thursday, May 10, 2018 at 8:00 AM on the plaza in front of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad building, located at 13 Canal Street in Cumberland. All members of the community are welcomed to attend and show their support and appreciation for law enforcement’s service and sacrifice nationwide. Finally, we remind the public to honor the nearly 22,000 names etched into the blue-grey limestone walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, by remembering to lower the flag of the United States of America to half-staff on May 15th, Peace Officers Memorial Day in accordance with Public Law 103-322.