Pancake Breakfast To Raise Money To Replace Outdated Police Vests
(CBS) -- There'll be a pancake breakfast fundraiser Sunday on the Southwest Side to help raise money to replace outdated bulletproof vests for Chicago police officers.
Ald. Matt O'Shea says 32,000 was raised at last year's "Get Behind the Vest" Pancake Breakfast and other mini-fundraisers at area schools. He says there are a couple of thousand outdated police bulletproof vests that need to be replaced at a cost of $500 to $1,500.
He says officers are issued their first vest upon graduation from the police academy but are responsible for replacements which are needed every five to seven years.
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The 19th Ward alderman says, "When an officer perspires, that breaks down the fibers in the vest. If a vest isn't fold properly or isn't stored properly….whether it's thrown in the back seat, shoved in the trunk, crammed in the locker. That breaks down the fibers."
And, of course, if a vest takes the impact of a bullet, it needs to be replaced.
Ald. O'Shea says when an officer is raising a family, paying tuitions, a mortgage and more, buying a new bulletproof vest falls down the list in the family budget priorities.
The 19th Ward is heavily populated with Chicago police officers.
The pancake breakfast will be at St. John Fisher Church School on 102nd and Washtenaw in West Beverly. It runs from 8:00 a.m.- 1:30 p.m. and costs $5 per person or $25 for a family.
Ald. O'Shea says, "Let's support the men and women of the CPD. Let's support those who support us and show them that we do care about the fact that, each and every day when they leave the house, they're putting their lives on the line for the city."
He says there'll also be a special 10 o'clock Mass at St. John Fisher honoring Chicago police.
