Cary Chapter to Host 4th Annual Officer of the Year Banquet

Award Named for Retired Detective George Almond

Gerald Owens and George Almond
 

The Cary Chapter of the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association, in 2005, chose to sponsor an Officer of the Year award in honor of George Almond. Almond, a PBA member, was shot in the line of duty in October 2001. He survived the shooting and returned to duty as a Detective in juvenile investigations before retiring in August 2004. The award recognizes exemplary performance in the areas of leadership, community service, mentoring, excellence in performance, and valor. Officer Robert Tonietto, Officer Keith McKenna, Officer Glenn Mitchell, Corporal Jeff Huser, and Detective Mike Lindley have been named as finalists for the 4th annual award.  


The fourth annual awards banquet will be held at the Embassy Suites in Cary on February 27, 2010. The doors to the event open at 5:30 p.m. Court of Appeals Judge James Wynn Jr. will be the keynote speaker for the event. Gerald Owens a WRAL-TV and Fox-50 anchor and the host of NC Wanted will serve as the Master of Ceremonies. As part of the festivities a live auction will be conducted by Ben Farrell to raise money for Cary Crime Stoppers and the Police Benevolent Foundation. Ben is a full time law enforcement officer with the Morrisville Police Department and is also a professional auctioneer. Ben was recently featured as part of the "Ask Anything" series on WRAL. Katherine Fritsch will return to this year’s event to sing the national anthem. George Almond will present the awards to the finalists including the final winner.

Katherine Fritsch and the Cary Police Department Honor Guard

According to Cary Chapter President Randy Byrd, “The Cary chapter has been very committed to this project since its inception. This annual event has been a phenomenal success and speaks volumes to the respect that George Almond has with fellow officers and the community he once served. In creating this award we wanted to ensure that George’s sacrifice for the citizen’s of the Town of Cary is never forgotten, while at the same time recognizing exemplary performance by those following in his footsteps.”

For more information about tickets to the event or participating as a host or sponsor, please contact Randy Byrd at 1-800-233-3506 ext. 311 or by email at rbyrd@sspba.org.