By Bob Ford

rford@tnonline.comA member of the Jim Thorpers bike team led all individual fundraising for this year's Irish Pub Tour de Shore held Sunday.Chip Burnett's $7,110 total helped the 29th annual Irish Pub Tour de Shore raise more than $1 million for the families of fallen police officers and children's charities for the first time.Burnett, a retired Philadelphia police officer now living in Jim Thorpe, lost several friends while on the force."I've known a lot of the police officers that have been killed over the years, and worked with about six that were friends who were killed," Burnett said, "so I feel riding a bicycle 67 miles to Atlantic City is the least I can do for those that made the ultimate sacrifice."At the finish line passers-by paused to view 30 posters hanging on the stage featuring individual officers who have died in the line of duty. The display makes up the Wall of Heroes.One of the officers prominently displayed on the Wall is Daniel Faulkner, a Philadelphia police officer in the 6th District who was murdered in December 1981.Burnett worked in that district from 1974 to 1978."I worked with Danny in the mid to late '70s in the 6th police district. We even worked in the same squad for a while, which means we were on the street at the same time. Danny was a fine young officer, very bright, and would have had an outstanding career in the Philadelphia Police Department." Burnett said.This is the second time Burnett made the ride."It is without a doubt one of the most challenging things I have ever done in my lifetime. For me it's a grueling six-hour ride, but to be a part of this charity event makes it worth the pain that I feel for the next few days." Burnett said.Sunday morning 94 members of the Jim Thorpers took off from the Irish Pub in Philadelphia for the 67-mile ride to the Irish Pub in Atlantic City, where dozens of supporters were waiting to cheer them on.For two of the team members this was their sixth time making the trek.In 2011 Ammon Hontz and Mike Dugan, both of Jim Thorpe, joined Dugan's sister on the ride.For that first ride, Dugan, a corporal with the Pennsylvania State Police, had a shirt made honoring a former co-worker, trooper Joshua Miller of the Swiftwater barracks, who was shot and killed while attempting to apprehend a kidnapping suspect. Dugan worked with Miller from March 2008 until 2009, when Miller was killed.A couple of years later, as the team grew, custom jerseys were designed by local artist and sign maker Doug Rontz. The jerseys had a side panel dedicated toMiller's memory. Miller was added to the Tour de Shore Wall of Heroes this year.Last year the team added a panel honoring Cpl. Bryon Dickson, who died in an ambush attack of the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Blooming Grove in September 2014.When the co-founder of the Tour de Shore, Mark O'Connor, heard about the Blooming Grove shooting, he remembered the Jim Thorpers and reached out to Dugan to see if they could help in any way."Our footprint has always been the greater Philadelphia area to the Jersey Shore, but I asked the board if we could extend our reach in this case," O'Connor said. "I didn't even need to get 10 words out and the board unanimously approved a $5,000 donation to the family."Another organization the Irish pub works closely with, the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation, reached out to O'Connor to see if they could also help Dickson's family.The foundation presented a check for $60,000 for Dickson's two children last year."We ride to keep the memory of both Miller and Dickson alive so their families know we will never forget them or the sacrifice they made." Dugan said.The Jim Thorpers raised more money than all but one other team this year with a total of $43,735."We will be receiving $5,000 back to donate locally to children's charities of our choice," Dugan said.While $5,000 coming back to the area is good news, team secretary Lisa Chapman has even higher hopes."This year we've raised $43,985 so far, but we hope to get to $50,000, which will bring back $7,500 to our community. People can still donate to the Jim Thorpers through the Tour de Shore's website until Aug. 3 by entering 'The Jim Thorpers' as the team."Chapman helped organize fundraisers for the team this year including a basket raffle at Molly Maguires Pub as well as a fundraiser at the Mansion House Restaurant in Summit Hill.Some of the money raised goes to assist riders in meeting their required donation to ride, and some of it went toward the team's total raised.Some riders will give any extra donations they have to assist other riders in reaching the required minimum to ride.This year's jerseys had a special message remembering Doug Rontz, a longtime supporter and designer of the original jerseys. Rontz passed away in January after a battle with cancer.Many of the team members and cheering section met to toast Rontz at the Irish Pub the morning after the race.The emotional meeting was topped off by Jim Thorpe's Becky McFadden singing "Oh Danny Boy."