Seahawks team up with Middletown PD in Police Unity Tour for fourth straight year

NEWPORT, R.I.  – The Salve Regina University women's lacrosse team is teaming up with the Middletown Police Department for the fourth straight year and will be raising funds for the Police Unity Tour leading up to the Seahawks Commonwealth Coast Conference game against Wentworth on Saturday March 25 at 12 p.m.

The Seahawks again partnered with officers Chad Souza and Jean Young, both who completed masters programs at Salve Regina, to raise money for the Police Unity Tour. Officer Patrick P. Montuore started the tour in 1997 with the hope of bringing public awareness of police officers who have died in the line of duty and honor their sacrifices. Since its beginning, the tour has raised nearly 20 million dollars which has been donated to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

Former Seahawks goalie Josephine O'Reilly interned with the Middletown Police Department four summers ago and brought the cause to the attention of her team. Now senior defenseman Jacqueline Pilatti (South Windsor, Conn.), an Administration of Justice major, has taken charge of organizing the team's support of the tour.

Police officers ride their bikes the 300 miles beginning in Florham Park, N.J. and ending at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. When it began in 1997, 18 officers made the ride and last year nearly 1,700 members nationwide made the trip, raising 1.72 million dollars.

If you would like to help support the Seahawks and Middletown Police Department and can't make it to the game, click here to donate on line. Salve Regina will be collecting donations when the team takes on the Wentworth on Saturday March 25.

Click here for more information on the Police Unity Tour.