Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- A retired FBI agent was in Syracuse Thursday as part of a bike trip from Oregon to Maine. He and his wife are raising money for the organization “
Concerns of Police Survivors,” or C.O.P.S.
Donations will help families heal after a loved one in law enforcement is killed in the line-of-duty.
As Jim Caverly suits up he thinks of the families who’ve lost a loved one in the line-of-duty and the officers he once knew.
“I had a co-worker who worked with us in Albany die in the line-of-duty. One of my students in the FBI academy died in the line-of-duty,” Caverly told NewsChannel 9. “I don't know of any police officer who hasn't been impacted in some way by the death of a fellow officer.”
Since Jim retired from the FBI in 1999, he and his wife have worked with hundreds of survivors, counseling families and helping them with their grief.
“I saw young widows carrying little children hand-in-hand, little toddlers, and I thought, you know, that could be me. I was ever so grateful that it never was, but it's certainly why we want to do this,” said Jim’s wife Jeanne.
Jim bikes 50 to 80 miles a day, while Jeanne drives the camper. Jim started with his rear wheel dipped off the Oregon coast in the Pacific Ocean, and he hopes to reach Maine before he turns 70 in mid-October.
Jim’s traveled 3,900 miles so far, a daunting number for most, but for him there's a motivation that keeps him going.
“You know, people say, ‘Wow, you're doing a bike ride across the country,’ but it really pales in comparison to an officer who has given his life in the line-of-duty,” Jeanne said.
Those thoughts will keep him pedaling in honor of those who died to keep us all safe.
The Caverlys have raised just a few thousand dollars for the organization so far. Their goal is to reach $30,000 by the time they reach the Atlantic coast. To learn more and to donate,
CLICK HERE.
You may also send a check to made payable to C.O.P.S., PO Box 3199, 846 Old South 5, Camdenton, MO 65020. Be sure to write "Bicycling Across America" on your check.
On the web --
Bicycling Across America for COPS on Facebook
