ST. JOSEPH COUNTY — On day four of their 13-day, 1,000 mile ride throughout Indiana, some Cops Cycling for Survivor riders came home to St. Joseph County to honor and remember the lives of police officers who died in the line of duty.
All cyclists are active or retired Indiana police officers or family members or supporters of law enforcement, Mike Kellem, a retired LaPorte County police officer, said.
They build awareness each mile they go. Not even half way through their trip, the truck they ride with is covered in signatures of supporters they met along their journey next to the names and faces of officers who died in the line of duty in 2023.
The cyclists stop in Mishawaka because it’s a good mid-way point, Kellem said. They rode 85 miles on Thursday and Friday will be another 80 miles, he said.
“We touch all four corners of the state,” Kellem said.
Prior to their final stop for the night at the Mishawaka Police Department, the group stopped at the South Bend Police Department, a stop on their route every year, said the department’s director of communications, Ashley O’Chap, to honor the service of each fallen officer in part of keeping their memory alive.
Surviving family members, Annette Deguch, the widow of Paul Deguch, Kathy Karczewski, the mother of Scott Severns, and Pat DeRue-Nemeth, the widow of Thomas DeRue, were present, the South Bend Police Department said in a Facebook post, as well as 30 South Bend police officers who signed the truck before the Cops Cycling for Survivors group left for their final stop for the day.
Around 4 p.m., the cyclists rounded the corner onto First Street in Mishawaka for their final stop for the day.
Before they could rest in the air conditioning after their 85-mile ride, they formed a line around the Fallen Officers Monument and remembered four Mishawaka police officers and one K9 who were killed in the line of duty: Patrolman Clarence Casper (June 10, 1930), Patrolman Bryan Verkler (Dec. 13, 2003), Corporal Thomas Roberts (Dec. 13, 2003), Corporal James Szuba (Jan. 9, 2010) and K9 Ricky (Jan. 9, 2010).
Cyclists took turns remembering how each officer served their city and how they died. Then, they held a moment of silence.
Mishawaka Chief of Police Ken Witkowski placed a flag at the memorial site. "Never forgotten, always remembered," it read.
He thanked Cops Cycling for Survivors for stopping by the memorial every year.
“You guys take your personal time off from your jobs, from your life, to do this for us, for the survivors and for the people who gave their all in the line of duty,” Witkowski said.
Officer Monica Zahasky, who serves with the Bloomington Police Department, has been riding with Cops Cycling for Survivors for 23 years.
“We try to bring joy, smiles and remembrance,” she said.
Her journey with the foundation started when she rode to Washington, D.C., on a tour with Indiana State Police Lt. Gary Dudley and retired Lake County Sheriff's Department Deputy Chief of Police Gary Martin. In 2006, Dudley and Martin, who were both integral to the success of Cops Cycling for Survivors, according to the organization's website, were killed during a bicycle ride when their support truck rear-ended and hit the cyclists. They died at the scene on Indiana 63 in Vermillion County, Indiana State Police said on its website. A third cyclist, retired Indianapolis Police Officer Spencer Moore, was injured in the crash.
“We’ve carried on the tradition of what the Garys started,” Zahasky said.
With a high of 84 degrees on Thursday and riding for more than 80 miles, Zahasky said, the survivors keep her going.
It’s knowing that the next step, the team will meet another survivor or another officer to pay respect to, she said.
Their route changes each year, Zahasky said, based on where officers were killed that year.
“It’s about honoring them and letting them know that we will never forget the ultimate sacrifice (of) their loved ones, their heroes,” Zahasky said. “Our pain and suffering that we feel for 13 days is nothing compared to what they feel on a daily basis.”
With almost 500 officers killed in the line of duty in Indiana, “we have hundreds of survivors throughout the state,” Zahasky said.
The team tries to meet with the surviving families of officers who died in the line of duty in every leg of their trip, spreading their goal and mission, she said. They've been met with a positive reception.
By day 13, she said, their truck will be covered with signatures, which Zahasky called a positive message for survivors.
“When they come, they can look at the messages and they can know that the state of Indiana and our communities do support us,” Zahasky said.
The group raises money to support the families of fallen officers and to provide scholarships in their honor. Fundraisers on their website show the group has raised nearly $60,000 through 37 active fundraisers for the year, as of July 12.
“We want people to know that we don’t forget and we support them,” Kellem said.
The group spent the night at the Mishawaka Police Department, after being given access to showers, and received a dinner buffet from Bamber's Superette Food Market and breakfast from Allie’s Cafe, both provided by the St. Joseph County Police Department, before setting off for Merrillville at 7 a.m.
Their trip will end at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, where Lt. Gary Dudley is buried, on July 20.
Email Tribune staff writer Camille Sarabia at csarabia@gannett.com.
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