MIAMI (WSVN) - They’ve got will, heart and a personal mission to ride hundreds of miles to show no one fights cancer alone.
City of Miami Police officers traded in their cruisers for bikes, and it was all for a good cause.
Before the sun even came up Wednesday morning, 19 Miami Police officers gathered at Bayfront Park. They were gearing up, not for duty, but for a purpose.
“I appreciate you all, may God bless you and have a safe trip,” said Miami Police Chief Manny Morales.
With words of encouragement from Morales, these officers were ready to set out on a 260-plus-mile journey to Orlando. The ride aims to raise awareness for leukemia and lymphoma, as well as to honor one of their own families.
This year, the ride is dedicated to Patty McCrink, the wife of Miami Police Detective Joseph McCrink, a 28-year veteran of the force.
“Unfortunately, with Patty getting sick, it was just, like, a no-brainer that, ‘Hey, we have to do something for cancer, and specifically blood cancer,'” said Joseph.
Patty was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma last year. She recently celebrated finishing her treatments.
“It means so much, I’m so proud of them, and I’ve known a lot of them since they became police officers,” said Patty.
This year’s ride is a family affair. Both of Patty and Joseph’s sons are joining the ride as well.
“Both my sons are police officers, and my husband, and we have other family members, so I’m just overwhelmed with being so proud that they would do something like this for me,” said Patty.
Together, the family said, it’s been a tough year, but staying positive and leaning on each other made all the difference.
“We’ve had our battles, and they’ve been good and bad, and we just work through it and say, ‘Hey, we’re not going to let this disease tear us apart,'” said Joseph.
For these officers, this journey is about more than just miles on the road. It’s a testament to hope, healing and the power of community, pedaling toward a future filled with strength and survival.
“People need to be more caring and really understand what it’s like to be a good person and just trying, you know, [to] be the person you can be,” said Joseph.
As of Wednesday morning, the police department has raised $31,000 for Blood Cancer United. They’re expected to ride seven to eight hours a day and to end their ride in Orlando sometime on Friday.
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