The Galloway Elks Lodge #2845 and members of the Galloway, Stockton and Pleasantville police departments hosted a fundraiser pasta dinner on Saturday evening. Proceeds from the event benefited the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, which works to honor fallen police officers from around the nation and to educate the public about law enforcement as a profession.

Most of the money for the fund comes from the annual Police Unity Tour. Officers gather in teams to ride bicycles to Washington, D.C., for a memorial and to make their donations. Last year, according to Chuck Richvalski, a retired Stockton College police officer, 1.3 million dollars were raised by officers around the country.

This year, for South Jersey's Police Unity Tour team, the tour will start in Lakewood on May 9, but officers will head through Galloway on day one and leave from the Clarion Hotel in Egg Harbor Township at 8 a.m. on day two, May 10.

"What we do is all about the officers killed and their families," said Richvalski. "So they know we won't forget...these people didn't die in vain, there are always people left behind."

Each officer that participates in the Police Unity Tour pledges to raise $1,700, but Richvalski says they aim to raise more. Proceeds from the pasta dinner were used toward this total. 260 officers from various departments are expected to participate from South Jersey's Police Unity Tour Chapter II team alone.

For more information and to donate to the Chapter II team, which includes Galloway, Stockton, and Pleasantville, see their website.

Another fundraiser for Chapter II will be a beef and beer event held at JD's Pub & Grill from 7 to 11 p.m. on March 2. Tickets will be $20 each.