Detective Rafael Ramos Foundation holds 8th annual memorial backpack giveaway
Hundreds of students received free book bags. They also got to enjoy performances from the NYPD's marching band and jazz band.
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The Detective Rafael Ramos Foundation held its 8th Annual Memorial Backpack Giveaway at P.S. 54 on Wednesday.
The event was in honor of the fallen detective and his partner who were both shot and killed in the line of duty in 2014. The foundation's goal is to preserve their memory while also strengthening the relationship between the NYPD and children.
Hundreds of students received free book bags. They also got to enjoy performances from the NYPD's marching band and jazz band.
"My message to them is be great, be great, look up to the officers, see that they're here to help them and I hope they can see that," says Maritza Ramos, Detective Ramos' wife.
Ramos and his partner Wenjian Liu were killed while sitting in their patrol car at the corner of Myrtle and Thompkins avenues. The foundation was created shortly after their deaths.
"He was a great man. He loved children. He loved helping his community, he was always involved, and this is why I started this. To keep his memory alive and continue doing what he would do if he was here," Maritza Ramos says.
Maritza Ramos says they also plan to hold their first black-tie gala in her husband's honor this winter.
