JAMES CITY COUNTY— Dr. Sam Frye, one of the volunteer police chaplains with the James City County Police Department, is gearing up to bike 1,250 miles in memory of fallen officers.
The Law Enforcement United “Long Ride” begins April 30 in San Francisco, where dedicated “Long Riders” cycle roughly 100 miles a day over eight days, covering an intense cross-country segment before concluding May 7. Following the ride, participants return east to join one of LEU’s three-day “Road to Hope” division rides of 250 miles, ultimately reuniting in Washington, D.C. for National Police Week.
Frye, who is in his late 60s, will bike the 1,250 miles this year alongside many other law enforcement members and survivors of the men and women killed in the line of duty. Throughout the journey, riders take part in 62 memorial wreath-laying ceremonies, honoring fallen officers and supporting their families, while sharing LEU memorabilia with those in attendance.
“Seeing the tears and the appreciation and even the smiles at the various departments, as well as the families. You just can’t understand the emotional impact of greeting a family, whether it’s along a route where their loved one was killed in the line of duty or whether it’s up in D.C. when we do the check presentation, to give them a flag, to give them a bracelet that we wear throughout the ride, and let them see that their loved one is not forgotten,” Frye explained.
Frye, who has participated in the event for almost 20 years, says the ride never gets old.
“I’m pushing 20 years with the organization, but as I’ve told people before, I’m going to continue until my health is gone, and even then I will continue to provide support for the ride,” Frye said.
To participate in the ride, Frye had to independently raise $1,750 just to earn a spot on the roster. He has also trained for the ride through an extensive exercise regimen since January to prep for the mileage his body will have to go through.
“It’s physical, it’s emotional, but it’s also a spiritual journey. Keeping the faces from the previous years in my mind is what drives me. People keep asking me when I’m going to stop, but the people that come out there to ride, they don’t do it for the money. For many of the riders, it’s on their own time and on their own dime, and it’s all about riding for our fallen brothers and sisters,” Frye added.
All money raised during the rides benefits LEU’s Road to Hope Bicycle Ride, Project Active Armor, Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), The Officer Down Memorial Page (O.D.M.P.), and Spirit of Blue Foundation.
The organization has over 1,000 members in 41 states across the nation. Frye, a charter member of the LEU organization, is proud of what the ride has come to mean to families.
“The current dynamic across the country is so negative towards law enforcement right now. It’s still mom’s and dad’s, aunt’s and uncle’s, granddad’s and grandmother’s that are out there serving our communities. These people we ride for have sacrificed their lives for the communities they love. No police officer does it for the money, this job is truly a calling. To be able to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice is a beautiful thing,” Frye said.
To learn more or to donate towards Frye’s efforts, visit leunited.org.