The Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial Ribbon Society was quite active in 2018. Read on for a summary of our activities the past year.
“To Remember Our Fallen Heroes”: Four Line of Duty Deaths in 2018
Unfortunately, four Canadian peace officers were tragically killed in the line of duty this year:
- Cst. Ian Jordan of the Victoria Police Department, who succumbed to injuries from a car incident after 30 years in a coma
- Cst. Lawrence Robb Costello and Cst. Sara Burns of the Fredericton Police Force , who were shot and killed responding to a shots fired call
- Correctional Officer Lesa Zoerb of the Correctional Service of Canada, Saskatchewan, who was killed in a motor vehicle incident.
Four is too many, but we all know that we risk losing officers every year due to the dangerous nature of protecting the peace and freedoms all Canadians enjoy. The Memorial Ribbon Society was there for each memorial event to assist in the healing by showing the families and peers of our fallen that they will not be forgotten.
First Fundraiser: Country Strong Gala
In the summer we had our first fundraiser, the Country Strong Gala , where country artists Rod Black and Hillbilly Vegas performed for attendees. Through the generous support of individuals and corporations, the event raised significant funds which will be directed to our six core objectives including providing post-secondary education scholarships to the children of fallen officers.
Memorial Events in 2018
Memorial Ribbon Society volunteers attended many events across Canada this past year, including the National Memorial in Ottawa, some Provincial Memorials and funerals for the fallen. The Society’s attendance at these events raise awareness about the officers we have lost in the line of duty and honour their sacrifice through the use of the Ribbon. With the help of some tech savvy volunteers, we are continuing to expand the use of our new website as well as social media (Facebook and Twitter). We hope to post more news and information stories in 2019.
Working to Make the Ribbon the Official Federally Endorsed Symbol of Mourning
Due to the number of agencies, departments and members of the public requesting Ribbons over the past year, we can honestly say that the Memorial Ribbon is now recognized by just about everyone across the country. We have also had many agencies and societies request the use of the Ribbon on their Honour web pages, Memorials, and similar items.
Although the Memorial Ribbon is well-recognized, there is still a lot of work to do to make it the official national symbol of mourning for peace officers protecting communities across Canada who are killed in the line of duty. Hopefully no other peace officer dies in the Line of Duty and we only have to pull out the Ribbons at the Annual National and Provincial Memorial Services.
Online Donations & Sales
We continue to make sales of Ribbon-related merchandise through our improved on-line store, and accept donations by credit card through our website or by cheque.
Thank You & Stay Safe in 2019
Thank you for your support of the Memorial Ribbon Society in 2018. Over the last 20 years, we have donated over $237,000 to memorials, monuments, and scholarships that honour those lost in service of protecting their communities. Your continued generosity shows the families of peace officers killed in the line of duty, and all Canadians, that our fallen will not be forgotten.
Please, stay safe and watch out for each other.
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