Photo By Master Sgt. Brian Hamilton | First Sgt. Michael Gainey, Warrior Transition Battalion, Fort Bragg, N.C.,...... read more read more
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MINT HILL, N.C. - In 2014, 117 law enforcement officers lost their lives in the line of duty.
On average, one law enforcement officer is killed every 58 hours.
Dedicated on October 15, 1991, in Washington D.C., the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial was built to honor the more than 20,000 officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the citizens they are sworn to serve and protect since the first recorded death of a police officer in 1791.
For the past three years, during National Police week, 1st Sgt. Michael Gainey, Warrior Transition Battalion, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, has gone above and beyond his duties as a Reserve Soldier by organizing an event in honor of those fallen brave men and women of the noble, but increasingly criticized profession.
Gainey, a 12-year veteran officer with the Mint Hill Police Department, first organized a 5K run and walk called Soles-2-Remember in 2013, in an effort to raise awareness in the local community.
“There were several people who had no idea there was a memorial for law enforcement. I do this in an effort to raise awareness and to pay back to the police community as well,” Gainey said.
The event, run this year on May 16, drew over 200 participants, spectators and law enforcement officers.
At a ceremony before the start of the race, Maj. Regan Reynolds, 108th Training Command (IET) secretary to the general staff, presented the Military Volunteer Service medal to Gainey.
Gainey, served with the 108th prior to his assignment with the Warrior Transition Battalion.
“We’re extremely proud of the job 1st Sgt. Gainey has done not just for the Army Reserve but also for his local community,” Reynolds said. “He’s donated a lot of his time and energy into ensuring this event is a success each and every year and it’s important to recognize Soldiers like him who go above and beyond what the Army expects of them.”
With each year bigger than the last, Gainey says he usually spends about 5 months preparing for the race.
“I start organizing and collecting sponsors each January and usually work on it right up until race day. Some days its five minutes and some days its five hours, but there is something that has to be done each and every day,” Gainey said.
Names of the fallen are added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial each year, making it an ever-changing memorial. It is solely financed through charitable donations. No taxpayer money is spent on it.
Through the Soles-2-Remember event and the generous donations of his sponsors, Gainey has been able to collectively raise more than $20,000 for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial fund, the non-profit that finances the up-keep and restoration of the living tribute.
Though he’s never actually been to the memorial, Gainey does have plans to visit in the future.
“I want to go, but I like having this event during police week just to get that feeling of camaraderie among the community and their police officers. So it just hasn’t worked out yet.”
A humble but grateful Gainey concluded the event by handing out medals to all those who participated.
“I never imagined three years ago that the military would recognize me for doing something like this. It’s an awesome feeling.”
| Date Taken: | 05.16.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.18.2015 11:50 |
| Story ID: | 163650 |
| Location: | MINT HILL, NC, US |
| Hometown: | ALBEMARLE, NC, US |
| Hometown: | MINT HILL, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 168 |
| Downloads: | 5 |
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