Friday, June 8, 2012

Congratulations to Donald Hadix, Winner of the Memorial Fund’s 2012 Harley-Davidson Raffle supporting the Museum!


This morning, Don Hadix of Johnstown, PA, winner of the Memorial Fund’s 2012 Harley-Davidson raffle, claimed his prize at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC.

In March, the Memorial Fund launched its annual Harley-Davidson raffle to raise funds and awareness for the National Law Enforcement Museum, currently under construction adjacent to the Memorial.

For $25, each participant received a raffle ticket and the chance to win a 2012 Harley-Davidson Ultra-Classic® Electra Glide® Peace Officers Special Edition motorcycle, plus a free co-branded Harley-Davidson/Memorial Fund t-shirt.

To say Don and his wife Debra were excited to receive their shiny new Harley-Davidson is an understatement. Debra and Don, wearing his co-branded Harley-Davidson/Memorial Fund t-shirt, marveled at their new Harley and posed for a few photos. “I feel like I could cry … I just can’t believe it,” Don said. Debra was just as incredulous, “I can’t believe he actually won!”


 

Back in 2002, a good friend of the Hadix family, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Joseph J. Sepp, Jr., was shot and killed in the line of duty. Don explained that they have supported the Memorial Fund ever since. “When I bought one $25 raffle ticket, I thought of it as a donation to the Memorial Fund,” Hadix said. “I never thought I would win.”

Four thousand tickets were printed and the raffle completely sold out, helping to raise over $102,000 for the Museum campaign. With this sixth raffle, the Memorial Fund has raised more than $373,000 for the National Law Enforcement Museum, thanks to Harley-Davidson.

"The Memorial Fund is honored to have Harley-Davidson as a Museum partner," said Chairman & CEO Craig W. Floyd. "Not only does the raffle raise funds for the Museum, it helps raise awareness and build support for the Museum campaign," he added. The combined total of raffle proceeds plus the value of the motorcycles donated bring Harley’s contribution to the Museum campaign to nearly $500,000.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Witness to History: Sirhan Sirhan and the Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy

On the night of June 5, 1968, then-presidential candidate Robert Kennedy was making his way through the crowded Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on his way to the ballroom to declare victory in the California Democratic primary. But before he could, he was assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan.

To commemorate the 44th anniversary of Robert Kennedy’s death, the National Law Enforcement Museum teamed with Target® for Witness to History: Sirhan Sirhan and the Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Chairman & CEO Craig Floyd moderated the panel discussion. The panel included Arturo Placencia, LAPD (Ret.), arresting officer of Sirhan Sirhan; Evan Thomas, author of Robert Kennedy: His Life; and Steven Hughes, United States Secret Service Special Agent in charge of Dignitary Protective Service. Each speaker brought a unique perspective to the issue that captivated the audience.

Evan Thomas set the stage by describing the social, cultural and political landscape Bobby Kennedy faced in 1968. He described Kennedy as someone who was on the brink of “being great” when he was assassinated.

Officer Placencia’s vivid description of the emotions and confusion following the shooting that injured five people in addition to Kennedy brought those chaotic moments alive for the audience.  “I was a 21-year old rookie cop, only three weeks out of the academy when we got the call,” Placencia said.

The Witness to History Speaker Series focuses on significant events in law enforcement history, conveyed through the insights of those who witnessed them. Events may involve a lecture or panel discussion followed by question and answer opportunities for the audience.

The first three events focused on the 1963 shooting of then President John F. Kennedy’s alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald; the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; and the 1982 Air Florida Flight 90 crash in Washington, DC. Stay tuned for more events to come.