YARMOUTH – From HIT: On Tuesday, Heroes In Transition (HIT) made a donation to the Yarmouth Police Department to fund a new K-9. I’m attaching a photo of our organization presenting a check to the Yarmouth Police Department at the Yarmouth Police Station. In the photo is: Ruck4HIT organizer Steve Spencer (from left), Yarmouth Police Lieutenant Kevin Lennon, Heroes In Transition Executive Director Nicole Spencer, Heroes In Transition Co-Founder Cyndy Jones, Yarmouth Deputy Chief Steven G. Xiarhos, and Yarmouth Chief Frank Frederickson.
The money was raised through our 3rd Annual Ruck4HIT, a 220-mile race through all towns on Cape Cod, held over the course of 36 hours during the first weekend in May. The RUCK4HIT is our largest annual fundraiser. A little less than a month prior to this year’s Ruck4HIT, Sergeant Sean Gannon was killed while serving a search warrant in Marstons Mills.
Several of our volunteers, staff, and supporters are first responders in neighboring towns on Cape Cod. We were all devastated by the news and knew we had to do something on behalf of Sgt. Gannon, his family and friends, and his colleagues on the Yarmouth Police Department. The Ruck4HIT organizing committee decided to use a portion of the proceeds from this year’s race to support the Yarmouth Police Department.
When we learned that Sgt. Gannon’s K-9 Nero was injured during the incident, we chose to use those funds to cover the cost of a new police dog for the department. For our organization, we couldn’t have chosen a better way to support the Yarmouth Police Department as we have our own Canine Co-Pilot Program which provides service dogs to veterans, some of whom are living with PTSD. Over the years, we have witnessed the comfort a canine can bring to those we serve. It’s our goal that the funds we donated this week will provide similar comfort to first responders in Yarmouth once the department is ready to purchase a K-9.
A little background on Heroes In Transition: Heroes In Transition (HIT) is a Mashpee-based nonprofit that was formed following the death of U.S. Marine Captain Eric A. Jones, who lost his life while supporting a combat mission in Afghanistan in October 2009. Now in its ninth year, HIT provides assistance to veterans, service members, and military families that is not readily available from other organizations through a range of programs that include: a Canine Co-Pilot Program; our Families In Transition (FIT) equine therapy program; summer fishing excursions; financial assistance; monthly outings for military couples; and our annual Fall Couples Retreat.
