|
Home Search |
Published on Thursday, December 9, 2004
in the Stuart News
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY ¯ Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Bruce Doras said he doesn't mind trading his badge for a bicycle for a week each December.
"I do it for state Trooper Robbie Smith," the Tampa trooper said.
A drunk driver slammed into the back of Smith's police cruiser about seven years ago in Miami, killing the 34-year-old trooper when his vehicle burst into flames.
"I have been doing this ever since he died," he said. "I want to do it for his family."
Doras and more than 35 other law-enforcement officers from across the state rode through Indian River and St. Lucie counties Wednesday on Day 3 of the eighth annual Tour De Force fund-raiser for families of officers who lost their lives in the line of duty this year.
The pedal-pushing police officers started Monday in North Miami Beach and expect to gain more bicyclists in the next two days, finishing in Daytona Beach Shores on Friday. The total trip along U.S. 1 is about 300 miles.
"We do about 50-60 miles a day with breaks along the way," said Palm Bay police Lt. Dave Crispin, who helped organize the event.
The officers made a pit stop about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Chevron gas station on the corner of U.S. 1 and 17th Street in Vero Beach. They were escorted back onto U.S. 1 by two FHP patrol cars.
St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office deputies Robert Funk and Kevin Pfeiffer joined the pack at the Holiday Inn in Port St. Lucie and pedaled to the Chevron station, where they loaded their bikes into a car and headed back home. It was their first Tour De Force experience.
Law-enforcement officers from Indian River County agencies typically take part in the event. However, many were unable to attend because of the September hurricanes.
"These guys keep a pretty good pace," said Funk, who has been a law-enforcement officer for six years. "We wanted to do this because it is for a great cause in our field of work."
The fund-raiser raises between $10,000 and $20,000. The money will be split between the nine families that have suffered a law-enforcement officer loss this year in Florida.