BPD honored in Spirit of Liberty Foundation ceremony
Representatives of the Spirit of Liberty Foundation flew to Birmingham, Alabama on Oct. 14, 2020 to honor first responders and healthcare workers, including the Birmingham Police Department.
Among those honored were several BPD officers who were injured in the line of duty.
The officers held the first responder flags and torch, while Spirit of Liberty Foundation Spokesperson Skip Helmly gave a motivational and uplifting speech thanking the officers for their service.
“[These ceremonies] are for the people fighting about 18 hours a day, 7 days a week, the ones who are on-call 24/7,” Helmly said. “It puts a big strain on their families, everything that they have to do, so we just want to give them that appreciation and lift them up.”
Officer Tekulve Bowden, who has served 18 years with BPD, was present during the ceremony and provided an update on his recovery.
“It’s been very difficult going through this process, but luckily I’ve been blessed to get better,” Bowden said.
According to Helmly, the torch used in the ceremony is meant to be a symbol of light and a reminder for those across the nation to never forget the sacrifices made by law enforcement and healthcare workers or friends and families of such workers.
The organization plans to fly to 98 additional cities in 48 states for 38 days.
