COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The annual Blue Friday events are back, and this year, with a special guest. Friday morning they kicked off their weekend of fundraising to support the surviving loved ones of police officers who’ve passed in the line of duty. Their message was echoed by a familiar face, Erik Estrada, known for his role as Officer Poncherello in the show “CHiPs.”
“Whenever it calls for support from law enforcement, first responders, people who have an overdose of compassion, that’s why they do this work, to help others, especially in their community,” explained Estrada. “And so that’s why I’m here. I’m here to raise money to help the cause, which I’ve been involved with for a long time.”
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For the 22nd year, representatives for Blue Friday of New York held a fundraiser, selling T-shirts, carnations, and patches to fund scholarships for the families of police officers who were killed or seriously injured in the line of duty. Blue Friday helps get those families critical resources, from grief counseling, to scholarships, and arranged trips to the National Police Memorial in Washington D.C. The trips provide them a chance to pay their respects to their loved ones.
“What I’ve learned is that the people that get involved with law enforcement, first responders, firefighters, EMTs, nurses, those in public service, they have a tremendous amount of compassion in their DNA,” Estrada added. “They’re givers. And that’s why they get in the profession, that’s what I’ve learned.”…