Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s office raised $8,727.38 to support the construction of a permanent law enforcement officers memorial on the grounds of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, in downtown Dade City.
The tax collector’s five offices highlighted the Pasco Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial as the charity of the month in November.
The campaign had been begun pre-COVID, but was rescheduled to November because of the pandemic, according to a news release from Fasano’s office.
Pasco County holds a memorial service each year to honor law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
However, Pasco County is the only county in Florida without a permanent memorial that can be visited year-round.
Local attorney Craig LaPorte has been heading up the effort to raise funds to build a permanent memorial, and he asked Fasano to help bring the fund drive to the finish line, the news release adds.
A check presentation was held in December, with Fasano joined by members of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, and Bob George and members of Pasco’s Back the Blue, an organization created to help support law enforcement officers.
“On behalf of the board of directors of the Pasco County Fallen Law Enforcement Officer Memorial and Benefit Foundation we want to extend our sincerest thanks to Mike Fasano and his entire staff for making our foundation the beneficiary of the Pasco County Tax Collector Charities,” LaPorte said, in the release. “He was kind enough to select us for the April 2020 Charity of the Month, but unfortunately as COVID-19 jumped into our lives, he was forced to close in-person office visits for a time. So, in order to help us realize our goal of constructing a permanent memorial to Pasco’s Fallen Law Enforcement Heroes, he put us back on his queue for November. Thanks to the generosity of Pasco’s citizens, and Mr. Fasano and his charity, we raised enough funds to put us “over the top.” As a result, we are now in the process of the final stages leading to the construction of the memorial in front of the Pasco County Historic Courthouse in Dade City.”
“It has been such an honor to work with the fine men and women of our law enforcement community to help raise the funds that will help construct this long-needed memorial,” Fasano said, in the release. “For any one law enforcement officer to die in the line of duty is one too many. Unfortunately, many good officers have been killed in Pasco over the years. This memorial will honor their sacrifice and the good work they did protecting our county from lawbreakers of every sort. A very generous community stepped up to show their support for the members of our law enforcement agencies.”
Another local group also helped to put the fundraising efforts for the memorial over the top, according to Sandy Graves, president of the Land O’ Lakes Rotary Club Charities Inc., a charitable arm of the club.
The club’s charitable group contributed $2,000 for the permanent memorial.
Published January 13, 2021
