The Peace Officers Memorial Foundation of Cook County will host a fundraiser next weekend to support a tribute planned in the name of the 672 peace officers that have been killed in the county’s history.

Foundation President Edward Sajdak said the nonprofit was established in 2002 to honor the memories of all of those law enforcement officers, dating back to the first officer fatality on record in the county in the mid-1800s.

Q What is the mission of the Peace Officers Memorial Foundation of Cook County?

A Our primary purpose is to honor all peace officers that have been killed in the line of duty from agencies throughout Cook County and establishing the Peace Officers Memorial in their memory.

Q Why is it so important that their memories be honored?

A They sacrifice their lives for the citizens of the community. We have a national memorial for officers in Washington, D.C., and a state memorial in Springfield, but considering the fact that more than 75 percent of officers killed in the line of duty in Illinois were killed in Cook County, we thought it would be very appropriate to have a memorial in the county in which they served.

Q Funds raised at the event will go toward the Peace Officers Memorial. What will that memorial entail?

A We are at the final design stages of the memorial and this money is helping us pay for the architects’ costs. The county has donated the location in the Cermak Woods Forest Preserve in Lyons, near Harlem and Ogden avenues. It’s going to be an area people can walk into with several walls, which will contain the names of the officers that have been killed.

Want to get involved?
The organization’s fundraiser will offer a food buffet, open bar, disc jockey, door prizes, raffle and auction for a donation of $30. Tickets can be purchased at the door for the event, which will be from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at 115 Bourbon Street, 3359 W. 115th St., Merrionette Park. For more information, visit www.pomfcc.org, e-mail pomfcc@aol.com or call (708) 424-6749.