Ocean City Police Among Bike Awardees

PRESS RELEASE FROM OCEAN CITY POLICE:
OCEAN CITY — The Neumann Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of our “20th Anniversary 101 Bike Awards”. The Ocean City Police Department is one of 90 departments that were selected to receive one of the 101 bicycles awarded. Go to www.neumannfoundation.org for more information.
On May 20, 2009, Chief Chad Callahan, Lt. Steven Ang and Ptl. Pat Randles accepted the bicycle awarded by the Neumann Foundation. The Officers attended a ceremony at the Parssipany, NJ PAL complex.
PARSIPPANY, NJ May 20, 2009… They say the best things in life happen when you least expect it. For the Neumann Foundation and 90 police departments, truer words have never been spoken.
The Neumann Foundation, based in Pine Beach, NJ, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established, by the Neumann family, in memory of Essex County Police Officer Keith Neumann, who was accidentally shot and killed during a pre-dawn drug raid on August 3, 1989. Keith was just 24 years old at the time and had been married for only six weeks.
One of the Foundation’s missions is to provide support to Police Departments and their communities through a bike grant program. “Our objective is to offer assistance to community bike patrols in their attempt to reduce crime in parks, town centers, schools and other recreational areas. We feel this program is vital in reacquainting the community with a highly visible and approachable police force”, said Steve Toal, President of the Foundation and Neumann’s brother-in-law.
The Foundation completed the mission of police bikes on August 3, 2007 after achieving a targeted milestone of 101 bikes. “101 is a very significant number to the Neumann Family as it was Keith’s badge number” Toal said. “The family decided that after 18 years, we would alter our course and close the book on this remarkable achievement knowing we honored Keith in special way” he added.
Then the phone call came from someone inquiring about making a contribution for the bike program. “I explained to them that we no longer do the bikes and conveyed how important the number 101 is to our family and that any other number of bikes wouldn’t mean as much to us. He understood, so I thanked him for his interest and we hung up.”
A week later the phone rang again and to Toal’s surprise it was the same person. The caller said, “I explained to my family about the whole 101 concept and they thought it was great…so we would like to give you money to purchase another 101 bikes!” “This is where I slid out of my chair,” Toal said. A week later the donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, was in his office handing him a check for $153,000.
“The Neumann Family was humbled yet overjoyed with the prospect of continuing this program with an unprecedented one-time 101 bike give-a-way” said Toal.
In 1996, the Foundation switched its focus from scholarships for Seton Hall students majoring in criminal justice to community police bike units. With the help of long time partner, Parsippany NJ based Cycle Craft, the Foundation has received expert advice and guidance in selecting appropriate bikes and equipment to be used by the officers while on patrol.
“We are thrilled to be part of the Neumann Family and involved with this historical gift” said Brendan Poh, general manager of Cycle Craft. “We provide many of the bikes for area Police Departments and are pleased to see so many more communities benefitting from this gift.”
“We have been blessed with a tremendous working relationship with Cycle Craft over the years and could not have accomplished any of this without them,” Toal said. The presentation will take place on May 20th at 1:00pm, at the Police Athletic League Complex in Parsippany, NJ. Eighty nine New Jersey Police Departments and one from Philadelphia will be on hand to receive their fully equipped 2009 Cannondale Police Mountain Bikes. For a list of all the recipients please visit www.neumannfoundation.org .
As for the anonymous donor, “I thank God everyday that there are people out there still willing to make great personal sacrifices for the betterment of our communities. Their family, and all our donors, will forever be considered part of the Neumann Family.”
For more information visit www.neumannfoundation.org.