Join the Wall to Wall
Ride for Remembrance
Registrations are now open for Australia’s
largest motorcycle charity ride, supported
by the Police Federation of Australia
and the NSW Police Association
STORY BROOKE EGGLETON
POLICE MEDIA UNIT
C
ommissioner Andrew Scipione
will lead the NSW contingent on
the fifth annual Wall to Wall Ride for
Remembrance on 13 September.
The Ride for Remembrance
commemorates the service and
sacrifice of fallen Australian police
and raises much need funds to
support their families. Groups of
riders will depart from memorial
sites around Australia before
coming together at the National
Police Memorial in Canberra for
a ceremony to honour fallen
colleagues.
NSW Police Legacy Chairman, Snr
Sgt Paul Bousfield expects about
2000 riders will participate in the
2014 event.
“The success of the ride and
interest it has generated with our
serving and retired colleagues has
been amazing,” he said. “There is
a wonderful sense of camaraderie,
mateship and pride that all the
riders get from the event and they’re
quickly reminded of what it truly
means to part this great police
family.”
Commissioner Scipione plans
to ride a restored police Kawasaki
Z1000, the make and model he rode
when a young officer.
This year, Assistant Commissioner
Mick Corboy, one of the instigators of
the ride, and Assistant Commissioner
Mark Jenkins will take a group of
serving and retired NSW police to
Western Australia, where they’ll
join WA Police Commissioner Karl
O’Callaghan. The group will then
ride across the Simpson Desert,
supporting their WA colleagues
in a journey stretching more
than 5000km.
Western Region Commander,
Assistant Commissioner Geoff
McKechnie will lead a group of
riders from Dubbo to Sydney on
12 September via Capertee, where
they’ll stop and pay tribute to
Snr Cst Clarence Pirie, who was
tragically killed on duty there on
13 October 1960.
His son John Pirie today serves
as the Canobolas local area manager
while his daughter Mary will also
join the ride.
Other contingents from the
Northern Territory, South Australia,
Queensland and Victoria will also
participate in the ride to Canberra.
They will meet on the outskirts of the
nation’s capital before riding under
police escort to the National Police
Memorial in Kings Park for a service.
During the service, batons from
each state and territory, containing a
small parchment with the names of
officers who have fallen in the past
year, will be laid on the memorial.
“The service is a moving tribute
when we can all pay our respects
to those lost in the line of duty,” Snr
Sgt Bousfield said. “As the batons
are presented, we all pray that the
parchment is blank.”
Visit www.walltowallride.com to
register or for more information.
Running ahead
Sgt Glenn Gorick from the Sutherland Trail Bike Unit will be among those making the
journey from the NSW Police Wall of Remembrance in Sydney to the National Wall of
Remembrance in Canberra. However, in a bid to raise awareness and money for NSW
Police Legacy he will run the entire 280km over five days.
Sgt Gorick plans to complete the run at 4pm on 13 September, as motorcycle riders are
due to arrive at the memorial. Support his heroic effort by donating at personalchallenge.
gofundraise.com.au/page/nathanandglenn.
AUGUST 2014 PoliceMonthly 3