Jeff Jessee, Cops Cycling for Survivors
Our very own Jeff Jessee who was MC for our Respect for Law dinner this year, is a solid member of our Club with his service and his VERY Optimistic attitude and approach. Additionally, he has made a major commitment and effort put forth for Cops Cycling for Survivors. The inaugural 13 day tour around Indiana took place in July of 2012. However, the spirit of this ride began many years before. In 2002 a group of police officers decided to support survivors by riding their bicycles from Indianapolis, Indiana to Washington, D.C. to honor officers killed in the line of duty and to support their survivors.
The ride has gone through many changes over the years, but one thing has remained constant…the cyclists’ dedication to honoring fallen law enforcement heroes and supporting their survivors left behind.
Jeff (as a “civilian” supporter) has done this ride for the past 5 years raising thousands of dollars and showing humanitarian effort through his encounters with hundreds of survivors and law enforcement personnel. With “Respect for Law” being one of the major purposes of Optimism, Jeff has excelled in showing his respect through ACTION!
2026 Ride Schedule
July 6 – Indianapolis to Richmond
July 7 – Richmond to Bluffton
July 8 – Bluffton to Angola
July 9 – Angola to Mishawaka
July 10 – Mishawaka to Merrillville
July 11 – Merrillville to Kentland
July 12 – Kentland to Terre Haute
July 13 – Terre Haute to Princeton
July 14 – Princeton to Jasper
July 15 – Jasper to Jeffersonville
July 16 – Jeffersonville to Madison
July 17 – Madison to Bloomington
July 18 – Bloomington to Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis
Check out this article for more information on the ride and you can also donate to Jeff or any of the cyclists at this website https://www.copscycling4survivors.org/
Jeff is currently $800 short of his $3000 goal. Let's show our support and help him achieve this! Also, stay tune on his Facebook page for their progress and plan to welcome them to Jasper on July 14 on their way from Princeton to Jeffersonville. They will spend the night in the Jasper area.
Article on the ride in DC Free Press.
Jeff's Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/JeffJessee1976
