Fallen officers remembered as Wall to Wall Ride marks a decade

A record number of motorcyclists are this morning departing Melbourne as the annual Wall to Wall Ride for Remembrance gears up for its 10th year.

A contingent of more than 400 riders have taken off from the Victoria Police Memorial on St Kilda Road for the two-day ride to Canberra, which commemorates police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

The ride – which sees police from across the country converge at the National Police Memorial – raises funds for Victoria Police Legacy and others nationwide to provide support for police members and their families.

A strong representative from Victoria Police’s southern metro region will participate to honour Detective Senior Sergeant Vic Kostiuk, who was tragically struck and killed while taking part in last year’s Wall to Wall event.

Riders will make a short stop near the scene of the collision at Orbost to hold a small memorial for Det Sen-Sgt Kostiuk, before continuing along Victoria’s east coast and resting overnight in Merimbula.

This year, Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton will pass the baton to Matthew Patterson following the death of his father, Leading Senior Constable Keith Patterson, in September last year.

The legacy baton features the names of all Victoria Police members who have died while serving their community.

Inspector Peter Ferguson said the ride was an important gesture to the many families of serving or retired police officers who had passed away.

“For the past 10 years this ride has paid tribute to the memories of our fallen officers and served as a poignant reminder they will not be forgotten,” Insp Ferguson said.

“It’s also an opportunity to shed light on the great work Legacy does in supporting the police community.”

Victoria Police Legacy is an independent organisation funded by contributions from serving police, bequests and donations.

Over the past nine years, more than $150,000 has been raised for VPL through the ride alone.

To donate to the ride and learn more about VPL, visit www.policelegacyvic.org.au

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