Block Party in Support of Milwaukee Police

This was a great event.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

An event that organizers called "one day of thanks for a whole year of protection" brought more than 2,000 people by late afternoon to Walker's Point to support Milwaukee police and raise money for two officers shot recently.

Thank You Milwaukee Police Department Day began at 9 a.m. Saturday at W. National Ave. and S. 2nd St. near the spot where officers Graham M. Kunisch and Bryan J. Norberg were shot June 9 after stopping a man for questioning. Both officers are recovering from their wounds.

Organizers announced Saturday that money raised would go to a new permanent support fund that would aid all Milwaukee officers wounded in the line of duty, and that "TYMPD Day" would become an annual event.

Jim Lombardo, owner of Bell Ambulance, Ald. Bob Donovan and Jerry Steny, owner of nearby Steny's Tavern, took about a week to organize what became a community block party featuring Milwaukee police, firefighters and other emergency response personnel.

Lombardo said organizers expect to raise $50,000 to $100,000 from the event and have already raised more than $24,000 from T-shirt sales.

"I know how I feel when I go on an ambulance call and someone says 'thank you,' and that's why we're doing it for the police," he said.

The outpouring of support for the two wounded officers and the Milwaukee police force is really encouraging.

The block party was such a hopeful response to the violence that took place in that very location just a week earlier.

...Heat, a civilian rock band fronted by Milwaukee police Officer Kim Pierce, played at the event for free.

"I'm so proud to be a Milwaukee police officer and see the wonderful support from the community. The police need to know the community cares," Pierce said.

Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson made a guest appearance. "This is a great event, and I'm glad everyone is here to support the police officers," he said.

And the Milwaukee Police Department's Police Officer Support Team set up a video camera so visitors could tape messages that will be sent to Kunisch and Norberg.

In a formal ceremony at 5 p.m., Milwaukee Police Chief Edward A. Flynn took the stage and was greeted by loud applause from the audience. He thanked the crowd for supporting the fund-raiser and said: "It's a wonderful thing to see this community come together. We say Milwaukee is worth the fight and we're sticking together."

It's so important to differentiate between the good guys and the truly bad guys, this scourge on the community. It's important to not lose sight of what's at stake here.