Community Partner of the Month Awards

Dave Mortach and Billy Morris (Mike Trivisonno not available)

In September 2019, Mike Trivisonno, WTAM disc jockey and Dave Mortach, local businessman made it their mission to offer free lunches to Police Officers and Firefighters throughout Northeast Ohio.  The sale of “Triv T Shirts” with backing by Mortach helped to offset the costs.  Cleveland-grown famed musician Billy Morris was recruited to bring his Smokin’ Rock n Roll Food Truck to feed the appreciative public safety servants.

In response to an email request to consider the Cleveland Division of Police, the trio had food delivered to all five districts plus Public Safety Central.  Billy Morris wowed the hungry law enforcement crowds with an acoustic rendition of the National Anthem to loud applause by all.  A big thank you goes out to these three special individuals who not only delivered food to our heroes in blue but also brought smiles to their faces.

It is because of their caring and dedication to not only the Cleveland Division of Police but also to our brothers and sisters in blue throughout Northeast Ohio that the Cleveland Police Foundation is honored to name Mike Trivisonno, Dave Mortach and Billy Morris as its Community Partners of the Month for October 2020.

Two very special brothers, Gideon (age 8) and Josiah (age 6) Trank set up a snack stand at their home on Vandalia Avenue in suburban Brooklyn over the Labor Day weekend.  All the proceeds were donated to the families of Cleveland Police Detective James Skernivitz and Patrol Officer Nick Sabo, recently fallen heroes-in-blue.

When asked about why he felt the need to do this, Gideon Trank stated “When I heard about the officers dying I was very sad but after doing this I am happy again.”  Machelle Trank, the boys’ mother said, “The two boys raised over $6,000 and turned the money over to the grateful families this past week.”  She further stated, “My two boys are homeschooled but the lesson they learned from holding this event for these families is more important than math or science.”  The Cleveland Police Foundation invited the Trank family to our recent “Feed Our Officers Event” at the Second District.  Gideon and Josiah got to visit with some of our officers and the two boys got to sit in one of the zone cars.

It is because of their compassion and caring for our officers that the Cleveland Police Foundation is honored to name Gideon and Josiah Trank as its Community Partners of the Month for September 2020.

The H.O.P.E. for Blue initiative is a volunteer group that believes in supporting and commemorating Police Officers throughout the state of Ohio through coordinated efforts to honor and recognize these honest, professional, and courageous men and women for their hard work and dedication. Their mission and vision is to show support and respect by honoring police officers and the hard work they do in fighting crime, enforcing laws and safeguarding the constitutional rights of all people, as well as partnering with the communities to spread the message of H.O.P.E. for the police officers and these communities.

Recently, H.O.P.E. for Blue teamed up with Bruno’s Restaurante to serve lunch and dessert to our much deserving Second District “Heroes in Blue” and made it a very enjoyable afternoon for all who were able to attend. When asked about this effort, Second District Commander Tom Stacho stated, “On behalf of the Second District officers, I would like to thank H.O.P.E. for Blue for providing lunch and dessert for our officers. Their message of respect for and honoring the many honest, professional and courageous men and women who daily risk their lives in service of our community resonates with our officers and is a sentiment shared by the vast majority of citizens. We truly appreciate their generosity and support.”

It is because of their dedication and devotion to law enforcement and what they do on a daily basis that the Cleveland Police Foundation is honored to name the H.O.P.E. for Blue initiative as its Community Partner of the Month for August 2020.

Dr. Yvonne Pointer is a nationally known Cleveland anti-violence activist. She began her successful career with the City of Cleveland in the Department of Public Works and then joined the Community Relations Board as a project director. Dr. Pointer is now retired.

Yvonne and her devoted friends have been incredibly generous to our Cleveland Police officers since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. They have donated meals to each police district and other CPD units.

Dr. Pointer has always been a staunch advocate of improving police/community relations. Recently, she organized an event called The Pastor, the Police, and the Person in which officers and pastors shared a meal together and discussed how to improve the relationship between the community and CPD. Yvonne has also worked hand-in-hand with the Cleveland Police Foundation for several years during the Christmas season to provide toys for needy children in her community.

It is because of her dedication and devotion to her community and the Cleveland Division of Police that the Cleveland Police Foundation is honored to name Dr. Yvonne Pointer as its Community Partner of the Month for July 2020.

The Greater Cleveland Chorus (GCC) is a membership organization of over 70 female singers of all ages and from all parts of Greater Cleveland. GCC first contacted the Cleveland Police Foundation and the Cleveland Police last Christmas in an effort to spread some cheer and sing carols for the officers and the Cleveland community. However, in November 2019, CPF dedicated the Officer Derek Owens’ Memorial Park so the women volunteered to sing the National Anthem for the dedication.

Come December, GCC and CPF joined Santa Claus at the Third District and sang carols for the officers and dispatchers. This was followed by a trek to Public Square and the West Side Market, singing more carols and bringing Christmas joy to the community.

GCC was kind enough to support the Cleveland Cops for Kids fundraiser events in March. They surprised the CPF by donating 1,200+ children’s books in support of the Little Free Library project to promote literacy in Cleveland. During the pandemic, GCC reached out to provide meals for patrol officers as an appreciation of their continued service during these difficult times. The ladies provided pizza, homemade cookies, candy, and even sent 25 handmade masks! The masks were so nice the Honor Guard and Pipes and Drum Band asked if the group could make more masks for them. Without hesitation, another 30 masks arrived.

It is because of their continued support of Cleveland Police Officers and Dispatchers, and for the wonderful sounds with which they bless the community, that the Cleveland Police Foundation is honored to name the Greater Cleveland Chorus as its Community Partner of the Month for June 2020.

More about the Community Partner of the Month Program…

The Bureau of Communications Control Center includes dispatchers and call takers who work hand in hand with our officers, firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians on a daily basis. They are the true first responders and are not only the lifeline for the members of the community but all of our public safety personnel working on the street.

Even though at times they are overwhelmed by these duties and more, the dispatchers and call-takers always find time to participate in fundraisers and other ways to help the citizens of the City of Cleveland. During the Christmas season they sponsor families in need to help Santa purchase, wrap, and deliver gifts. The members assisted the Easter Bunny to make Easter baskets and then deliver to hundreds of children in women’s shelters. They also purchased Halloween costumes and donated pumpkins to the Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center for the annual Halloween party for all the families served. In addition, the members of the bureau have hosted fundraisers for officers and their families who need assistance, they’ve made contributions to the Edna House for Women, and sponsored the “Linen Closet” fundraiser to assist families and victims with replacing their sheets in times of need.

It is because of their dedication and devotion to the community and the first responders they serve that the Cleveland Police Foundation is honored to name the Bureau of Communications as its Community Partner of the Month for May 2020.

The now successful “Six” program became a reality in 2016 through a combined effort of Cleveland Police Officers, Retired Detective Cliff Kime and Captain Jim Purcell (recently deceased). They were well aware that policing had the highest rate of suicide of any profession so they developed a mentoring program which allowed officers to have an anonymous way to seek help, guidance and direction.

The “Six” program gave mostly retired police officers the opportunity to mentor officers who may be having problems. These mentors can provide the resources and avenues to keep the officers healthy without the fear of judgement.

When asked about the “Six” program, Detective Kime stated “Captain Purcell and I recruited a number of officers who bring different experiences to the table: struggles with addiction, injuries on the job, officer-involved shootings, etc. They can connect with other officers with similar issues to provide peer support and mentoring. Other communities have come on board the “Six” program knowing we have no agenda or incentive other than knowing that our effort has made a real difference in the lives of the men and women that serve and protect our communities. Unfortunately, Captain Purcell passed away on January 18, 2020 but his legacy as a cop’s cop will live on as well as his ‘Six” program. I will present his plaque (posthumously) to his family.”

It is because of their caring and dedication to the men and women in blue that the Cleveland Police Foundation is honored to name Retired Detective Cliff Kime and Captain Jim Purcell (posthumously) and their “Six” program as its Community Partner of the Month for April 2020.

In 2014, Cyndi Rice and her granddaughter Destiny started a charity in the name of the late Henry Adkins, a Cleveland Police officer battling ALS.  They had an incredible relationship with Henry and wanted to help him financially through his struggles. The first fundraiser for Henry was organized by then eleven-year-old Destiny. It was a simple lemonade stand in front of her home.

The lemonade stand was a huge hit with the public and media! That gave way to the creation of the Hero Fund, a charity to financially assist active Cleveland Police officers with debilitating illnesses or injuries.

After several years of running the charity, the administration details became more difficult for Cyndi and Destiny. They asked the Cleveland Police Foundation to take over the responsibility of management.

The Hero Fund is now under the umbrella of the Cleveland Police Foundation. It is consistent with the CPF mission of helping others and creating trust between the police and the community served. The CPF was honored to be asked to manage this charity and are proud to be able to financially assist officers that are struggling with serious medical issues.

It is because of their dedication to help Cleveland Police Officers and enable them to serve the community that the Cleveland Police Foundation is honored to name Cyndi Rice and Destiny as its Community Partners of the Month for March 2020.

This past December, a 68 year-old Vietnam veteran, John Gogerty, was at Public Square when he witnessed a suspect escape from a Cleveland police car.  The suspect had been arrested on a warrant tied to a burglary ring when he broke the door handle and escaped from the back seat of the vehicle.

The police officers ran after the suspect and captured him, but the man resisted.  Gogerty saw the officers struggling to maintain control so Gogerty jumped in to assist, though in the process, injured his right hand.

Gogerty says that despite his injury, he would again make the effort to help anyone who needed assistance.  He says he knows that the police officers appreciated the support he provided.

Thanks to John, the suspect was indicted along with several others for an eight-month burglary spree!  The accused will also be facing additional charges related to this attempted escape and resisting arrest incident.

The Cleveland Police Foundation wants to thank John Gogerty for these efforts and for putting himself in harm’s way to back our Cleveland police officers.

It is because of his courage to protect the community and Cleveland Police Officers that the Cleveland Police Foundation is honored to name John Gogerty as its Community Partner of the Month for February 2020.

For the last 35 years, Dick Clough has taken his Tour of Good Cheer event on the road during the Christmas season to reach out to those in need throughout the community!

Dick and his band of dedicated volunteers travel in a caravan guided by Cleveland Police officers with Santa in tow.  They go to various locations throughout the city delivering presents and singing Christmas carols.  For Christmas 2019, the group made ten stops including Charity Hospital, Mt. Carmel and Garden Valley.

Besides being the CEO (Chief Everything Officer) for the Tour of Good Cheer, Dick also finds time for other organizations.  He is a board member and secretary for the Cleveland Police Foundation, attends and donates stuffed animals for the CPF sponsored Cops for Kids Fishing Events, and always shows up at the five CPF District Awards ceremonies.

It is because of his caring for the community and dedication to the Cleveland Division of Police that the Cleveland Police Foundation is honored to name Dick Clough as its Community Partner of the Month for January 2020.