Defender of the Month – A monthly series from Relentless Defender Apparel, in which we feature an individual doing extraordinary things in our communities.
We’d like to introduce our March 2021 – Defender of the Month, Freeport Police Department Chief Ray Garivey. Chief Ray first made it onto our radar when he was swearing in a young lady who was battling Cancer and had dreams of becoming a police officer. It was from that moment Chief Ray and Officer Abigail 758 were nearly inseparable. You rarely saw one without the other and the playful jokes and banter they shared with the world on Facebook made them hard to ignore. We, along with the people from all over the world, were captivated.
Chief Ray gave us a front row seat to Abigail’s story. We watched Chief Ray, 758 and her family travel the country and visit other sick kids, we watched as they toured the White House and smiled as she sat with Jose Altuve before a game of the World Series. Chief gave us the opportunity to smile and to laugh with them and when the time came, he was vulnerable enough to allow us all to cry with him.
Chief Garivey continues to spread Abigail’s message to “Stay Relentless.” He proudly hosts kids that are fighting Cancer and their families at the “758 Bayhouse” to give them a break from the stress of normal lives. It rarely takes more than a call to get Chief Ray over for a visit – not only kids, but for some adults as well. He proudly gives them stickers, 758 Bears and RDA Stay Relentless blankets.
Chief Garivey and his police department are active in their community bringing awareness to Autism, Mental Health, Breast Cancer and of course, Childhood Cancers to name a few.
You wouldn’t know it by today’s media coverage but there’s still good in the profession and there are still good people in the world. Guardian Angels are defined as one assigned to protect a particular person, group or nation. Whether or not you choose to believe in Guardian Angels or Earth Angels, Abigail did & her family still does. As Abigail would say, “Thank you Chief & Stay Relentless”.