Courtesy Photo | Staff Sgt. Daniel Killam of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 105th...... read more read more
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By Maj. Paul Rickert
Wisconsin National Guard
CHICAGO — One-hundred twenty-five South Chicago kids enjoyed a campout in Nat King Cole Park Aug. 23 during the fourth annual Peace in the Park After Dark (PPAD).
Part of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy initiative (CAPS), PPAD is a community event for South Chicago youth. Run by volunteers, it includes overnight camping, archery, and teambuilding exercises with a focus leadership, respect and teamwork.
The waiting list for PPAD fills up months in advance.
The event would never have been possible without the efforts of Chicago police officer, and Wisconsin National Guardsman, Thomas Wortham IV who was murdered May 19 2010, during a robbery at his parents’ home just across the street from the park.
Wortham enlisted with the Wisconsin National Guard in April 1999 and deployed to Iraq twice — a 12-month deployment in 2004 with the 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry, and a 10-month deployment with Troop A, 105th Cavalry. He also spent a year on active duty performing airport security as part of Operation Noble Eagle in 2003.
After he was commissioned in 2006, Wortham attended the police academy and joined the Chicago Police Department, working in the Englewood district.
An active leader in his community, Wortham served as the president of the Cole Park Advisory Council in Chatham, working to make the neighborhood safe for children to play in the same park that he enjoyed growing up.
After Wortham’s death, his father Thomas Wortham III asked the 105th if they would be willing to help with a community event Wortham had been planning at the park. Staff Sgt. Daniel Killam — “Canada” to his friends — jumped at the chance.
An outgoing, friendly individual during his life, it wasn’t hard to find fellow service members who knew Wortham and wanted to help. They pooled their resources, which included a general purpose medium tent from the unit, rented a truck and drove down.
During the first event in 2010 there was a lot of community involvement. A local benefactor bought tents and sleeping bags and police officers blocked off the park and provided security and lights.
There was not much organization. Killam and the other Wisconsin Guard volunteers found themselves gathering the kids together and teaching them how to work as a group to put up tents, build bonfires and make s‘mores.
“If you’ve ever seen a kid learn how to make s‘mores for the first time, times a hundred, that’s a contagious type of joy,” Killam said.
Someone had paid a bugler to perform reveille the following morning, and Killam and the rest of the volunteers corralled the kids out of the tents and led them through some calisthenics.
“Afterword, we put them on line, did a 'police call' — a military term for cleaning trash up in an area — and gave them a sense of ownership in the park,” Killam said. “Getting them to engage in that kind of ownership wasn’t what we had in mind when we came down here but it kind of evolved into that.”
Volunteers from the Wisconsin Guard this year included 1st Sgt. Steven Pavlick, retired Sgt. 1st Class Edward Hoffman, Sgt. 1st Class Paul Wagner and Staff Sgt. Douglas Krueger. All had fond memories of Wortham.
Thomas Wortham III and Carolyn Wortham, parents of Thomas Wortham IV, were very grateful for the support.
“This is a continuation of what he was trying to do,” Carolyn said. “It gives kids an opportunity to interact with police … ask questions … to interact with the military. Most of these kids have only seen soldiers on television.”
This was the first year that children outside the 6th district were invited to attend.
“We’re trying to teach these kids to make better choices,” Carolyn said, adding she hoped the experience might make a child think twice about joining a gang. “Kids are more alike than they are different.”
The event was attended by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and 1st Deputy Superintendent Al Wysinger from 6th District, both bringing an anti-drug and anti-violence message.
Wysinger assured local residents the kids would be safe.
“Every person you see here in a blue T-shirt is a police officer," he said. "They are going to spend the night here with these kids.”
One of the volunteer police officers included Field Training Officer Herb Williams from the 6th District. He had heard about the program but this was the first year he had volunteered.
“I knew about it and wanted to give back,” Williams said, adding that it was a great experience. “I’ll do it every year.”
Both the Wisconsin National Guard and the Chicago Police department have created an award in Wortham’s honor. The Thomas E. Wortham IV Achievement Award is presented each year to a member who best represents the values and commitment to community and service Wortham emulated.
| Date Taken: | 08.23.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 09.03.2013 17:57 |
| Story ID: | 113033 |
| Location: | CHICAGO, IL, US |
| Web Views: | 59 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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