Good news first... NC made it through the month of September with no officers lost in the line of duty!
September 1st saw the Brotherhood Ride arrive in NC. The Brotherhood Ride is a yearly event where this amazing group of First Responders selects an unsung hero or heroes from around the country to honor by riding their bicycles to their hometown and providing financial and emotional support to their families, friends, and coworkers.
This year's ride was dedicated to Florida's Fallen Heroes who died in the line of duty in 2020 while protecting their communities, as well as for the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 and to honor the first responders who have died from 9/11 related illnesses. The group of riders left Naples, Florida on August 21st and the team pedaled to New York City for 22 days, covering over 1,700 miles to arrive at the 9/11 ceremony at Ground Zero. They arrived in Raleigh, NC on September 2nd and were met by BTBNC CEO Lindsay LiCausi and Chairman Gadi Adelman. BTBNC also arranged to have Raleigh PD meet them with an escort as they arrived in Raleigh. RPD escorted them with 4 motorcycle police units and two patrol vehicles to the Elk Lodge where they were greeted by many local residents and spent the night. The next day RPD once again was there to escort them out of town. We are proud that the Brotherhood Ride also placed the BTBNC logos on both their chase and support vehicles!
September 9th saw a new addition to the BTBNC Staff. To say we are honored and humbled to welcome Timothy Fox to the BTBNC Staff is an understatement! Mr. Fox will be the Western Co-Chair and Grievance Counselor for our team. For those that don't recognize the name, Mr. Fox is the father of Watauga County K9 Deputy Logan Fox who was killed in the line of duty on April 28, 2021, along with Sgt. Chris Ward. We cannot imagine a better individual for this position.
September 10th was the Anniversary of Deputy Ryan Hendrix's line of duty death. Deputy Hendrix was the first officer to be killed in the line of duty since our organization was founded. His service, sacrifice, and impact on the community is the reason why Back The Blue NC decided to focus on assisting the families of officers killed in the line of duty.
We announced the start of our first online raffle on September 15th for your chance to win a one-of-a-kind BTBNC gun display hand-crafted by an award-winning woodworker with 100% of the proceeds going to the 10-33 Assistance program. Robert Wolfkill of Wolfkill Woodwork gifted a custom hand-crafted Cherry Wood Full-Size Pistol Display (valued at $200) to help fundraise for a cause he strongly believes in. As a former Law Enforcement Officer, Robert understands the importance of honoring and supporting our men and women in blue - especially those who have died in the line of duty. A winner will be randomly drawn on October 25th, 2021, or when 50 tickets are sold, whichever comes first. A minimum of 30 tickets must be sold for their drawing to occur and some tickets still remain. At only $10. a ticket with a limit on ticket sales this is a great chance to not only win this display but support our 10-33 Assistance program at the same time. Visit our home page for more information.
September 22nd BTBNC Staff members Lindsay and Anthony LiCausi, and Gadi Adelman treated Colt Allison, the son of fallen Nash County Deputy Allison to dinner for his 10th birthday and gifted him a handmade plaque in remembrance of his father and we also gifted him a BTBNC hat.
September saw another first for BTBNC, we held two events on the same day. On September 25th our Charlotte Co-Chair Melissa DeLong and Treasurer Ashleigh Bowers attended the Charlotte-Mecklenburg FOP Auxiliary Lodge #9 annual fundraiser event while CEO/Founder Lindsay LiCausi, Co-Founder Anthony LiCausi, and our new Western Co-Chair Timothy Fox attended a Small Business event hosted by Sheepdog Public Safety (private police sector and self-defense store) to fundraise and educate public about Back The Blue NC's mission.
On September 27th NCSHP Trooper Lopez-Alcedo returned to full-duty work after a year-long recovery from being struck by a vehicle in Mecklenburg County. His return to duty was just over a year after he had returned home following 84 days of treatment and rehab at hospitals. Trooper Lopez-Alcedo was hit by a car on July 4, 2020, while working the scene of a crash on I-485. Five people were killed, including four members of a Belmont family, in a series of crashes on Interstate 485 on July 3 started by a driver speeding at over 100 mph.
Please remember to look over and join our 10-33 Assistance Program where 100% of the proceeds go to the children and families of those killed in the line of duty. https://www.backthebluenc.org/1033
For less than 35 cents a day you can help us help achieve our goal of "Giving Back To Those Who Are Willing To Give Their All".
We have an event coming up that is of the utmost importance. The #MasonStrong Event will take place on Saturday, October 9th. This event will be hosted by the Roxboro Police Department and BTBNC will be there to help Roxboro PD. A few months ago, Roxboro Police Department shared the story of Officer Brandon Knaub's six-year-old son, Mason, being diagnosed with High-Risk Neuroblastoma. Mason has been undergoing intensive chemo treatments since his diagnosis and will be undergoing twice-daily chemo treatments on a rotating basis (one-week treatment, three weeks rest) for a full year. If the treatment is successful, Mason only has a 50% chance of survival. The family does not have insurance for little Mason, so to help the family, Roxboro PD and Person County Sheriff's Office are hosting a silent auction on October 9th with all proceeds going to the family to assist with medical bills. Please join us to help our blue line family and in being Mason Strong.
Lastly, we are always looking to add to our staff, if you can donate a few hours a week, a month, or have any ideas to help us grow please let us know!