Fort Myers Police department hosts annual Cops and Joggers 5K

The Fort Myers Police Department hosted the annual Cops and Joggers 5K event on Saturday.

This unique experience takes attendees through the heart of Downtown Fort Myers.

On Saturday, neighbors lit up the night with one of the most electrifying 5K runs of the year, while at the same time honoring the brave people who put their lives on the line to serve and protect.

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It’s a day for families, friends, and loved ones to come together for a purpose they’ll never forget.

Roger Valdivia is a captain with the Fort Myers Police Department. He said that he wants the families of the fallen officers to know that they are not forgotten.

“We want to make sure that we tell the families that, hey, we haven’t forgotten, just because you’re not with us doesn’t mean that we forgot about them,” said Valdivia. “We care about our fallen officers. We care about their families. They’re just as much family to us as their fallen officer was.”

Food, live entertainment, and comradery were all part of the annual Cops and Joggers 5k run.
This year’s event was located in Downtown Fort Myers.

Many gathered to share their love and support for fallen officers.

Jeff Morse is with the Brotherhood Ride Foundation. He said that it takes more than words to show that people aren’t forgotten.

“We always say, never forget. But those words are hollow sometimes, and people do tend to forget after a while what happened to that public servant that paid the ultimate price,” said Morse. “We’re here to show them, or show the community, that we haven’t forgotten.”

Runners came from all over to cross the Caloosahatchee Bridge with a purpose behind the exercise.

“To support the cops, this sounded like a fun idea after the new year, so we’re glad we could do it,” said one runner.

The run was scheduled for last October, but Hurricane Milton pushed it back to January. The organizers said it was better late than never.

Mary Ellen is a detective in the Fort Myers Police Department and the event organizer. She said that there are things to do even if you don’t run.

“We have bounce houses, we have food trucks, we have music DJs, swat teams out here for the kids. So even if you’re not a runner or a walker, just go and support us,” said Ellen.

Support is all that FMPD and families of fallen officers are asking for.

“This is an amazing event that they put on,” said Morse. “It really is a showcase for the city.”