by Kiwanis Club of South Lake
On March 5, 2022, the Clermont Police Department in cooperation with the Kiwanis Club of South Lake (KCOSL), was proud to host the second annual Clermont Honoring the Fallen 5K in beautiful downtown Clermont. The race, formerly known as the Conrad Buckley Legacy Scholarship 5K, honored fallen Clermont police officer Conrad Buckley as well as the nearly 500 officers who died in the line of duty in 2021. The event was a fundraiser for the Conrad Buckley Legacy Scholarship and for Team Blue Line.
The Conrad Buckley Legacy Scholarship began in 2020 when Conrad, a friend and dedicated officer, was taken from us to soon. Members of the KCOSL heard desire in the community to do something in the name of Officer Buckley. KCOSL, in cooperation with Clermont PD and Lake Technical College in Tavares, developed a legacy scholarship in his memory to be awarded to an area student interested in working with local law enforcement. The KCOSL has committed to awarding this scholarship each year for 10 years. Funds come from various fundraising efforts throughout the year, including the 5K, Music on the Lake, and a donation site on the Kiwanis Club’s website.
Each year, the Officer Conrad Buckley Legacy Scholarship will be sponsored by the KCOSL and the recipient will be chosen by the Clermont Police Department. The recipient will then attend the Lake Technical College Florida Law Enforcement Academy where they will receive 770 hours of accredited police training. This 5 month course is both physically and academically rigorous. When candidates complete the program, they are well prepared to begin their careers in law enforcement.
Team Blue Line is a national organization that provides moral, financial, and other forms of support to law enforcement officers and their families when officers have been seriously injured or lost their lives in the line of duty. Team Blue Line wants to ensure that no officer or family struggling with a line-of-duty loss would do it alone. They provide financial assistance to families of officers killed in the line of duty so those left behind can grieve without that burden. Officers are injured in the line of duty every day, both physically and mentally. Prosthetics, therapy, and service dogs are but a few of the ways Team Blue Line serves the injured. See Fallen Heroes
The Clermont Police Department and the Kiwanis Club of South Lake would like to thank our valued sponsors, the over 200 runners, and the many friends and family who came downtown to cheer them on. We raised approximately $8,000 for these two worthy causes. THANK YOU CLERMONT FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!
For additional information about the Conrad Buckley Legacy Scholarship or to make a donation, please visit the KCOSL website at kcosl.org. For additional information about Team Blue Line or to make a donation, please visit TeamBlueLine.org.
Kiwanis International is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child at a time. The Kiwanis Club of South Lake meets every Thursday morning at 7:30 am at the Citrus Tower Conference Center, 2757 Citrus Tower Boulevard. Stop by and check us out. We’d love to meet you! For additional information about Kiwanis, please visit kcosl.org or Kiwanis.org
