38 COVER STORY
NEW JERSEY COPS ■ MAY 2014
From the middle of the pack, we hear President Wieners
shout…
You make me so proud by the way you honor those who
made the supreme sacrifice. Everybody get there safe.
sounds, you get inspired. That gets you to the next break.
You refresh and start then next 20-mile hump.
Ache, Battle and Roll
Pellegrino:You get to see a lot of areas you wouldn’t see, but
it’s the smells, too. You pass a lot of farmland and get a lot
of different smells.
The sounds of slot machines spinning and paying off fades
as the camera swoops past the casino at Caesar’s in
Atlantic City to find the PBA mini-convention letting out
for the day. Some members have hung around and are circled around Tony and Harry. Think the group from Ocean’s
11 with everybody trying to interrupt each other.
Hulse: See, while there are other great fundraisers for great
causes, this really requires a lot. You dedicate yourself to ride
in any weather. You know you gave your sweat and skin, and
I feel like I really contributed in so many ways.
Harry: You’re riding two 100-mile days in a row. That’s like
running a marathon on back to back days.
Thomas: Before we ride, we do the chant from Gladiator “We take everything and give them nothing in return.”
Colligan: You start to hurt a little but almost every bike has
the picture and name of a fallen officer. As weird as it
Tony: The first year I rode it was through pouring rain. We’re
coming up on a hill, and I’m thinking, “Quit your bellyaching. Think about who you are riding for.”
Colligan: If it’s hot, you have to stay on the potassium and
sodium and make sure you’re hydrated. But keeping hydrated is a fine line with having to go the bathroom.
Stallone: Everyone chips in to make sure everyone gets
there. If you have to push somebody up a hill or block the
wind, the ultimate goal is to get everyone there.
Harry: They’re going to suffer but that’s their way of paying
it forward. How can you do it? Because it’s the right thing:
Make sure no name in the memorial is ever forgotten.
Hulse: Every turn of the wheel gets you closer, and the closer you get, the more amped up you get . The honor of doing
it gives you the pedaling power.
Fade out to the sounds of slot machines spinning and jackpots hitting…
Survivors
Cut to a rest stop somewhere in Maryland. Cars are slowing
down on the highway because they see a group of women
posing for photos. Zoom in to see these are the spouses of
cops who died in the line of duty. They know each other
through National Concerns Of Police Survivors (C.O.P
.S.).
They are the royalty on Tour. Lisa steps forward from their
bicycle-built chorus line, motions the camera to follow her
and says…
We weren’t even sure they wanted us here, but they put that
all to rest the first year I rode. They treat us like princesses,
getting our bikes ready, toting our luggage and putting
us at the front of the pack. We recently told them how
much it means to us to be able to ride. And you know
what these guys said? “Thank you for allowing us to
ride in your husband’s memory.”
Lisa wipes a tear and hugs two cops from Lakewood
who worked with Niche. Dissolve to the line of bikes
pulling out of the rest stop and a group of workers
loading up vans.
Supporting Cast
Jackson Browne’s “The Load-Out” plays over footage
of people carrying luggage, cases of water, barrels of
bananas and other assorted items to load into vans.
The music softens and Hulse’s voice can be heard over
the footage.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 40