The annual Polar Bear Plunge is an event where law enforcement takes the lead to raise money for Special Olympics by taking a frozen dip in the Chesapeake Bay! MCPF paid for the entry fees for the participants from the MCPD.
2022 is the third year of Foundation operation of the MCP K-9 Retirement Program. This effort underwrites the cost of supporting dogs retired from active police service. In 2022 The Foundation is allocating $10,000 to pay for medicines and specialized food required for 16 retired dogs. Dog handlers gather here to provide a special acknowledgement and thanks to the Foundation for this contribution. Lt. Jeffrey Brewer oversees the program for the MCP and personally offered a heartfelt thank you in a special ceremony attended by four Board Members: Marvin Address, Sandra Address, Robert Holgate, Robert Linn, and Duane Webster.
At the request of the Montgomery County Police Department, Tom McElroy and the Montgomery County Police Foundation went shopping at the Target store in Rockville for Winter Coats. The Foundation, working with Officers Tara Bond, Dana Stroman and Mike Prather purchased winter coats for 111 elementary students in Montgomery County. The MCPD working with Montgomery Public Schools leadership and teachers at designated elementary schools identified students who would benefit by having new winter coats. The MCPD obtained the gender and size information in advance and worked with the staff at Target to plan and stage the coats for purchase. The MCPD officers delivered the coats prior to December 25th.
At the request of the Montgomery County Police Department (“MCPD”), Tom McElroy and the Montgomery County Police Foundation (“MCPF” or the “Foundation”) went shopping at the Target store in Rockville for Winter Coats. The Foundation, working with Officers Tara Bond, Dana Stroman and Mike Prather purchased winter coats for 111 elementary students in Montgomery County. The MCPD working with Montgomery Public Schools leadership and teachers at designated elementary schools identified students who would benefit by having new winter coats. The MCPD obtained the gender and size information in advance and worked with the staff at Target to plan and stage the coats for purchase. The MCPD officers delivered the coats prior to December 25th.
The Montgomery County Police Foundation and the Montgomery County Police Department were the proud recipients of a check for $1,403 in October 2020 from Mission BBQ in support of the MCPD. Mission BBQ and its management and staff held a fund raising opportunity for MCPF by sharing a percentage of the proceeds to benefit the community programs of the MPCD. On October 28, 2020, Messrs. Greg Wims, Jim Donovan and Tom McElroy from the MCPF Board, along with Lt. Ian Clark of the MCP accepted the check from Leslie Allen and the Management of the Mission BBQ Germantown Branch located at 19800 Century Blvd. The MCPF is very grateful and proud to be associated with Mission BBQ and its mission to support the Montgomery County Police.
On February 10th, the Montgomery County Police held a press conference to unveil the “Community Opioid Prevention Education” (COPE) Trailer at the office of the County Executive in Rockville, MD. Chief Marcus Jones, County Executive Marc Elrich and Councilman Sidney Katz, Chair of the County Council’s Public Safety Committee, each spoke of the importance of education awareness and the adverse impact that drug abuse is having on our community.
Too often the problem of drug abuse is a surprise to families and loved ones and a tour of the COPE Trailer can be an important effort to inform the public about warning signs that a loved one may be a victim of or susceptible to the epidemic of opioid abuse. Capt. David McBain, who spearheaded the acquisition and construction of the COPE Trailer, explained how the trailer, which would replicate a student’s bedroom and bath room and provide the Police with the ability to demonstrate to parents how easily drugs can be hidden in a home. Funding for the COPE Trailer was provided by the Montgomery County Police Foundation, the Montgomery County Public Schools and other government agencies. As part of the press conference members of the press and the community were provided with a tour of the trailer and discussed how the COPE Trailer can be deployed throughout the County at various public and special events.
The MCPF approved funding to support for this MCP initiative in September 2019 to expand community awareness and education related to opioid and drug abuse. Mr. Greg Wims, a Director for MCPF also spoke, and indicated the Foundation’s willingness to support the MCP and its various community and education initiatives. In the past the MCPF Board has also provided funding for the purchase of NARCAN kits to be used by the Police in overdose situations and to provide funding of the MCP’s D.A.R.E. Program, which teaches about drug abuse and education at the elementary level at certain schools.
For more information about the COPE Trailer and where and when it will be on display, please contact the MCP at (202) 674-7400 or mocopf@gmail.com.
From Tom McElroy, MCPF Assistant Secretary:
In December 2019, the MCPF Board approved the purchase of 123 winter coats to support the Community Relationship teams in the various MCP Districts. The coats were ordered and purchased from the Target Store in Rockville, MD and then delivered to Officers Michael Prather and Tara Bond, where the coats were then matched with by names and sizes for distribution via the participating schools. On Feb 3, 2020, I had the pleasure to meet up with Officers Prather and Bond to distribute several of the last remaining coats to students at Twinbrook Elementary School in Rockville, MD. We met with Principal Matthew Devan and Asst. Principal Lisa Keyahias-Farhi, who were grateful for the support by the MCP and the Foundation to help keep students warm and healthy.
The Montgomery County Police Foundation was the proud recipient of a check for $3,044 in January 2020 from Mission BBQ in support of the Montgomery County Police Department. Mission BBQ and its management and staff held a fund raising opportunity for MCPF by sharing a percentage of the proceeds to benefit the community programs of the MPCD. On January 8, 2020, Mr. Greg Wims, a member of the MCPF Board of Directors and a Director for the Victims’ Rights Foundation accepted the check from the Manager at Mission BBQ. The MCPF is very grateful and proud to be associated with Mission BBQ and its staff at the Germantown location (19800 Century Blvd., Germantown, MD 20870).
On Saturday, December 7th, the Montgomery County Police Foundation (" MCPF"), along with Target Stores was glad to support the Montgomery County Police ("MCP") and its Heroes & Helpers Holiday Shopping Program. Officer Michael Prather and several other officers arranged, with the help of Target and MCPF, for each child "shopper" to receive a gift card valued at $100. The Heroes & Helpers Program enabled MCP Officers to be teamed with 123 children, ranging in ages between Kindergarten to Middle School, for the purpose of helping the children with their Holiday shopping. The event took place at the Target Store in Rockville, MD and it marked the 10th year that the Heroes & Helpers Holiday Shopping Program has occurred. Many Thanks to all of the Officers and to James Myers, Brenda and all of the Target team for making this event happen.
MCPF and the MCP held the Thanksgiving Holiday Dinner on Tuesday Nov. 26th. There were 27 - 30 children at the Dinner, held at David Scull Community Center in Rockville. MCP officers were instumental in organizing the event and helped serve turkey dinners. Of the participating children, many came from elementary schools that frequent the Community Center after school while their parents are working.
Thank you to the counselors who allowed us to be there and to be a part of the program!
MCPF sponsors a field trip for D.A.R.E. to Philadelphia.
Photo: Monica Vidal
Click here to read Potomac Lifestyle’s article on the Foundation. Article by Lauri Gross.
On March 28, 2019, Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger (Ret.) along with Marvin Address, President, and Thomas McElroy, Assistant Secretary of the Montgomery County Police Foundation (“MCPF”) extended their thanks and appreciation to the leadership team of Second Genesis Foundation, Inc. (“Second Genesis”) for their support to reduce opioid deaths in Montgomery County, MD. Bob Carlstrom, Chairman Emeritus and John Troha, Treasurer with Second Genesis, visited with Chief Manger at his offices just prior to his retirement after 42 years as a police officer, the last 15 years as the Chief of the Montgomery County Police Department (“MCPD”).
Chief Manger expressed his appreciation to Second Genesis for their willingness to provide funding to strategic community initiatives. First, Second Genesis supported the “DARE” education program for elementary students. Secondly, Second Genesis supported additional Narcan Kits to be used by MCPD officers to prevent opioid overdose deaths. MCPF is glad to partner with both Second Genesis and the MCPD to prevent opioid overdoses and to expand awareness of this public health crisis in Montgomery County.