Aurora police plan fundraiser for former officers

Ray Morris will be one of eight guests of honor at Mike & Denise’s in Aurora on Thursday night.

He and the other seven Aurora police officers who were laid off Jan. 1 are the beneficiaries of a fundraising concert organized by several Aurora police officers who play in bands.

When the layoffs happened, Sgts. Kevin Triplett and Tim Ciochon and officers Jeff Sauer and Cottrell Webster decided to use their musical talents to raise money the former officers can use for utilities, car payments and other bills.

“We’re doing a jam to just get everyone together because morale is low right now,” Triplett said.

Morris said he was not shocked to lose his job. Layoff rumors had been going around for about a year, he said, and he had only been with the department a little longer than two years. But news of the benefit concert and the support fund surprised him in a good way.

“It was amazing to see that the officers were coming together to try to support us in these times,” Morris said. “It just provides that extra help that we need during these hard times.”

Morris, 26, said some extra cash will be helpful to pay bills until he finds a new job. He’s applied with police departments in Hanover Park, Streamwood, Lyons and Chicago and is playing the waiting game.

Organizers are charging $25 admission for the event as the main way to generate money. It also will include an auction with items such as Mary Kay cosmetics gift baskets and two tickets to a Bon Jovi concert.

Mike Siddon, owner of Mike & Denise’s Pizzeria and Pub on Farnsworth Avenue, is chipping in to the charity effort by hosting the benefit concert and providing pizza and chicken wings for free.

“First of all, (police officers) support our restaurant a lot. We get a lot of off-duty and on-duty Aurora police officers in here,” Siddon said. “We’ve made a lot of friends in the police department and we want to help.”

Triplett said he and other event organizers have heard from dozens of people who want to contribute to the fund, even if they cannot attend the event. A Facebook page lists about 120 people who said they will attend and Triplett said he suggests showing up before the 8:30 p.m. start time.

“This is not some political statement,” Triplett said. “We’re getting together to have a good time during a not so good time.”