Lee County deputy runs to state Capitol for fallen officers

A Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputy will be running for a cause — it’s a challenge almost a year in the making.

Sgt. Sammy Gonzalez will be traveling almost 400 miles over the span of just nine days, from Fort Myers to the state Capitol on foot.

The journey dubbed as a “Run for the Fallen” aims at raising awareness and funds to help families struggling after a devastating loss.

“You see that they have young children that are left behind now without a parent, and COPS provides for these families and these children,” Gonzalez said.

All of the proceeds will go to a group called COPS, which stands for Concerns of Police Survivors. The group helps families get back on their feet after losing their loved ones in the line of duty.

Deputy Josiah Smith will be helping Gonzalez as he makes his way up the state.

“He’s projecting to do roughly 45 to 55 miles a day, and we’re talking about seven to eight days consecutively in a row, so I think it’s gonna be a pretty big challenge for him,” Smith said.

The sheriff’s office will be sending Gonzalez off on April 19. Gonzalez is expected to attend the Fallen Officers Memorial at the state Capitol on April 30.

“It’s gonna be an emotional finish, I’ll be definitely happy that I made it, but I’ll be even happier presenting COPS with the check of all the money that was raised for this run,” Gonzalez said.