FORT MYERS, Fla. — A cross-country organization made its way to Fort Myers on Monday afternoon.
Family, friends, and troopers came together with ‘Beyond The Call of Duty,' a "Ride To Remember" group, to honor fallen officers across the nation.
The group honors 608 fallen officers on a customized memorial truck.
More than 265 police departments will get a chance to view the truck.
“It’s emotional, but you know, you keep that emotion in until you're by yourself in private,” said Laura Pingry, widow of a fallen officer.
Pingry is one of several people part of the tour who have lost a loved one during the line of duty.
Trooper Brian Pingry died from complications of COVID-19 last year. He worked in the Fort Myers station. She says every day is still hard without him, but with the ‘Ride To Remember' tour, she can feel his spirit.
“He was a very quiet guy and he was a homebody. So now he gets to travel around the country, and that makes me proud," she said.
"I Just want to touch the picture and tell him, I am with him, and I know he is still with me."
Founder Jagrut Shah says the objective is simple. The 'Ride To Remember Tour' is to spread awareness and remember the fallen officers.
“You will notice they are fathers, children, sisters, brothers, and grandparents," Shah said.
Shah says they will honor more Fallen officers this year than in the last two years.
“Last year we had 358 that I honored and went around the nation,” Shah said. “The year before that it was 147. So you can see the dramatic increase.”
Beyond the Call of Duty's next stop is in Fort Lauderdale and Miami for Day 35.
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