Support for the men and women in blue

After two Peach County Sheriff’s Department officers were fatally shot in November, American Legion Rider Rodney Blitch and other members of Arthur Leonard Johnson Jr. ALR Chapter 172 in Warner Robbins, Ga., decided they wanted to do something to show their support for local law enforcement.

That’s why Post 172’s Riders and other ALR members from Georgia’s Sixth District braved near-freezing temperatures for a benefit ride earlier this month. More than 50 motorcyclists took part, including 25 Legion Riders. The $20 per person entry fee went to the Fraternal Order of Police.

“At our Rider meeting in November we passed the hat and asked our Riders to put in $20 to go the families (of the slain officers),” Blitch said. “At our next meeting I said that I wanted to do a ride to show our support for all of our local law enforcement folks.”

The Riders chose Jan. 8 – the day before National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day – for the ride. And although it didn’t rain, the weather didn’t exactly cooperate. The temperature was 34 degrees, meaning it felt around 20 degrees colder riding a motorcycle.

“We were planning on riding in what we thought could be 60-degree weather,” Blitch said. “At least that’s what we hoped. But that’s not what we got.”

That didn’t stop the ride, which lasted more than two hours and 90 miles, and included loops around the Warner Robins Law Enforcement Center, the Perry Police Department, the Peach County Sheriff’s Department, the Byron Police Department, the Fort Valley Police Department, the Houston County Sheriff’s Department and the Centerville Police Department.

Blitch said the ride served two purposes: to show support for law enforcement and to maintain an important relationship. Local police and sheriff departments often provide valuable escorts during ALR rides.

“Those who have been on escorted rides know how great it feels to ride through a stoplight or through a stop sign,” Blitch said. “I’m also a Patriot Guard Rider, so I know how important that help is. This ride helped keep that relationship open, and it also helps with community relationships because they see us out there doing something like this.

“We’ve got a great appreciation for what these guys do day in and day out, and we wanted to show that appreciation. This was our way of doing that.”

And in Massachusetts, Dalton Legion Post 155’s Legion Riders hosted a program to recognize the various law-enforcement agencies that provide escorts during its annual rides. The Riders presented plaques and letters to members of those agencies during a breakfast at the post.

Post 155’s Riders have a Memorial Day ride that raises scholarship money for students looking for a career in law enforcement and another ride in August that raises money for veterans.

"I think we should appreciate law enforcement,” ALR Chapter 155 President Michael Lefebvre told iBerkshires.com. “They do nothing but good for us. They do traffic control for us — knock on wood — we've had this 16 years in the Berkshires and we haven't had an accident yet. There's a lot of motorcycle runs for charities and benefits and unfortunately, there's a lot of accidents. They've backed us and been there, and I feel they're unappreciated.”