The Holly Springs Police Department has been and continues to be dedicated to those they serve. From their Resource Officers to their Youth Academy, the department is constantly looking for ways to be more active and present in the community.
Officers Hendley, Boyd and Clarke are three Holly Springs Officers who are helping to forge a relationship between the citizens of Holly Springs, and those in the Police Department. One way they are doing this is by hosting the first Annual Law Enforcement Torch Ride and BBQ to benefit the Special Olympics of North Carolina.
On Saturday, May 19, motorcycle riders and their passengers will gather at the Law Enforcement Center in Holly Springs and from there they will ride together to the Gilliam-McConnell Airfield in Carthage, NC. After the nearly 51 mile ride, bikers will have a rest and refreshments before heading back to Holly Springs for a barbecue in the Lowe’s Foods parking lot.
All food for the barbecue has been donated by Lowe’s Foods, and 100% of the proceeds collected will go straight to the Special Olympics of North Carolina. For $5 per plate, guests can enjoy a hamburger or hot dog, along with chips, salad, and a soft drink or bottled water. For those that are participating in the ride, the cost of food is included in the $30 registration fee for riders and $10 fee for passengers. Those participating in the ride will gather at 8:00am and “kickstands will be up at 9:30am.”
Along with the ride and barbecue, the team will be selling raffle tickets for prizes that include donations from:
Team Power Sports
Cycle Gear
Locked and Loaded in Garner
5.11 Lawmens
Texas Roadhouse
Olive Garden
Chili’s
Chick-fil-a
Ray Price Harley Davidson (Basic Rider’s Course, $400 value)
Garcia Moto (Advanced Rider’s Course)
Barnes Precision
Riders automatically get one ticket with their entry fee, and additional tickets will be available for purchase. Anyone interested can purchase 10 tickets for $5 or for $20 you can get an “arm’s length” worth of tickets, so be sure to bring your tallest friend with the longest wingspan to purchase tickets! Tickets will be available at registration as well as the day of the barbecue.
There will also be an opportunity for the community to come out and get up close and personal with a Holly Springs fire truck, EMS vehicle, and a police motorcycle. In addition, area business will be present including Garcia Moto and Capital Power Sports.
The idea of the Torch Ride was born out of a need to raise more money for the organizations that these officers feel need the additional support. After attending a similar charity ride event in Apex, Officer Boyd felt that the time was right to organize a ride with the Holly Springs Police Department and community. “I ride motorcycles myself, we have a large population in town that ride motorcycles, all of our command staff ride motorcycles, so it was something that everyone was excited about,” Officer Boyd said. But the purpose of the ride goes beyond fundraising and raffles. Each of the officers involved are personally invested in the event and are determined to be present in the community. “I have family that are special needs, and being able to give back to that community is very special and personal to me and I’m glad to be able to increase the participation with special needs in the community,” Officer Boyd said. Officer Clarke said, “Knowing people in the community, personally, who have children involved in Special Olympics and being in a unit and having a command staff that strongly supports the Special Olympics efforts and being able to do this as a part of our job description is a win-win for me.” For Senior Officer Hendley, it is about watching her team grow and expand. “This certainly serves a great purpose and is a cause we are all very passionate about. I’m also excited because Officers Boyd and Clarke have had the opportunity to take the lead in planning and knowing that in the end it is going to benefit these amazing athletes.”
The purpose of the Community Outreach Unit is to get into the community, educate, interact, and reach populations that they would ordinarily not get to interact with. “Our goal is to be advocates and to put a good name and face on the department,” Officer Hendley explained. With each one having their own strength and experience, they are a perfect mix of personalities that have made it their mission to bridge the gap between the public perception of the police and the actual people behind the badges. Officer Hendley has been a member of the Holly Springs K-9 unit, and she, along with her K-9 partner Justice, have become a fixture in the community. Officer Boyd has experience as a member of the Community Outreach Team in Raleigh and brings with him the ability to communicate and organize in a unique way. Officer Clarke, a retired member of the New York City Police Department, has seen and been a part of events that have given him a wealth of knowledge and humor that allows him to connect with people in a very special way.
Although the Torch Ride is the first of its kind for Holly Springs, these officers are in no way strangers to getting out into the community. They have formed partnerships and friendships with many of the charitable organizations and communities in Holly Springs and have made huge headways in building relationships that are sure to last well after the ride is over.
