NJ State PBA once again sponsors the Garden State C. O. P. S. trip to the National Law Enforcement Memorial that gives survivor families precious moments with their fallen officers.
Magic Bus Ride
NJ State PBA once again sponsors the Garden State C. O. P. S. trip to the National Law Enforcement Memorial that gives survivor families precious moments with their fallen officers.
n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
See the survivors in the photo smiling? They have just spent a couple of hours at the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D. C. on this momentous April day when they have had the park practically all to themselves. Concerns Of Police Survivors( C. O. P. S.) brought them to the Memorial for the day via its annual NJ State PBA-sponsored“ Bus Ride,” and here is why they are smiling and sending the human thank-you note that makes up the photo …
Like Garden State C. O. P. S. President Lisa Preslar, these survivors have just partaken of the annual opportunity to commune at the Memorial Wall where the names of their fallen loved ones have been inscribed. For nine years, Preslar has felt the significance of this time, of this bus trip, for its strength to continue on without her husband, William“ Nichie” Preslar, the Lakewood Police Officer and Local 71 member whose watch ended with an auto accident in 2007.
“ You can just sit back and look at his name on the panel and feel your hero’ s presence around you,” Lisa confides.“ It is sad, but it is comforting. You definitely feel the presence of something special.”
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NEW JERSEY COPS n MAY 2016
Two buses brought 88 members of survivor families from New Jersey to Washington, D. C. on April 23 for the annual pilgrimage NJ State President Pat Colligan says his organization is so proud to support and always will. The picture of the family members holding up the“ Thank U PBA” is worth 1,000 words, and what follows are 1,000 words or so to explain why the picture means so much.
“ The people on the bus are so grateful to see their officer’ s name, and we would not be able to do this without the PBA sponsoring the event,” Preslar confirms.“ It’ s a long day, but it’ s a great day.”
Ride effects
The busses alone create a respite for survivors. Wives raising kids on their own get to sit next to each other. Parents who have lost their children comfort each other. The kids of fallen officers hang out with each other. They are a moving miracle.
To ensure the busses moved without a hitch, President Colligan asked Kenny Daly, an E-Board member from his Franklin Township Local 154, to organize the ride. The“ North” bus picked up survivors at stops in Bloomfield and Woodbridge; the“ South” bus made pickups at the Howell Park-and-Ride and the Bellmawr Police Depart-