Police Carry On Petrone’s Work with Annual Ride

alsgpd1-7-1
Sydney Petrone, 13, daughter of the late Sgt. Roger Petrone, leads the pack during the final stretch of the 14th Annual Tri-State Trek and Sgt. Petrone Ride. (Lauren Rubenstein photo)
Sydney Petrone, 13, daughter of the late Sgt. Roger Petrone, leads the pack during the final stretch of the 14th Annual Tri-State Trek and Sgt. Petrone Ride. (Lauren Rubenstein photo)

By Evan Triantafilidis
Sentinel Reporter

Bells rung out as members of the Greenwich Police Department crossed the finish line to the 14th annual Tri-State Trek and the annual Sgt. Roger Petrone Ride in honor of their fallen colleague.

Leading the pack of bicylcists to the finish line was Sgt. Roger Petrone’s daughter, Sydney, 13, who was greeted with cheers and ringing bells by hundreds of supporters who came out in support of the ALS Therapy Development Institute (TDI).

Roger Sherman Baldwin Park served as the final destination for the three-day, 270-mile bicycle ride, which started in Boston on June 24 as part of the Ride to End ALS fundraiser.

“This is the most inspiring event I’ve been to, and that’s why we call ourselves family,” said Jacqui Poe, Petrone’s cousin. “We call this time of year Trek-mas. It’s what we look forward to all year, although it’s grueling and exhausting. We all love it.”

A member of Team Greenwich Police Department rides along the bikers during Sunday’s 14th Annual Tri-State Trek and Sgt. Petrone Ride. (John Ferris Robben photo)
A member of Team Greenwich Police Department rides along the bikers during Sunday’s 14th Annual Tri-State Trek and Sgt. Petrone Ride. (John Ferris Robben photo)

Poe’s two daughters have been riding in the event for the past nine years, since they learned of Petrone’s diagnosis in 2007. The sergeant battled ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease, for six and a half years before passing away peacefully at his home in Stamford in February 2014.

“What made me so proud of Roger was that he never wanted funding going towards making his life easier, he wanted every bit of funding raised to go to TDI,” Poe said. “He didn’t want any money to make his life more comfortable, he didn’t want to have any kid lose a parent. That was his main goal.” 

Petrone also served with the Greenwich Police Marine Division, the Special Response Unit, and the SCUBA team.

His mother, Patricia Humphrey, waited at the finish line for the team made up of Greenwich police officers and family members. The 9.2mile portion of the ride dedicated to Petrone began at the Audubon of Greenwich and ended on the green of Roger Sherman Baldwin Park.

It’s heart wrenching and heartwarming at the same time,” said a teary-eyed Humphrey. “He would be very humbled and very, very appreciative of all that they went through to help find a cure for this so that nobody else has to go through it.”

Last year, the Tri-State Trek had raised over $800,000 with more than 250 participants. Leading the pack in recent years has been the growing family of Team Greenwich Police, with thousands of dollars raised since 2007.

“I will always remember his very humble nature,” said Humphrey. “He never looked for the spotlight. He saw what his daughter went through and didn’t want that to happen to anyone else.”

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, known as Lou Gehrig’s disease for the Hall-of-Fame Yankee who died of it, eventually takes away one’s ability to walk, dress, speak and even swallow while leaving intellectual capacity fully in tact.

The family of Sgt. Petrone said the weekend will always be a time to remember his life and 17-year career with the police department.

It’s a devastating disease, and the worst part about it is that it takes their body but it doesn’t take their mind,” Poe said.It’s something we plan for every year. Instead of a weekend of vacation, we come here, and it’s worth it.”

Related Posts
Loading...