After bicycling for five days and 400 miles from Indianapolis, the bustling lanes of U.S. 30 were a welcome sight for Coleen Schultz. She raised her son, Merrillville Officer Nick Schultz, in Lowell, and they both loved riding their bikes in the region.
In September 2014, 24-year-old Nick Schultz died in the line of duty after being fatally shot while responding to a call. This is Coleen Schultz’s 11th year riding in the annual Ride to Remember, a statewide bicycle ride honoring fallen Indiana officers.
“You laugh, cry, smile, hug,” Coleen Schultz said. “I believe in their mission. They don’t want people to be forgotten, and they want the families to know that they’re not forgotten. And they’re there for you. I plan on it as long as my body is willing and able to keep biking.”
On Friday afternoon, the cyclists rode down U.S. 30 in Merrillville in their 13-day ride around Indiana to commemorate the Cops Cycling for Survivors’ 25th year.
The ride began on Monday at the Indiana Law Enforcement Memorial in Indianapolis, in which the cyclists traveled through Richmond, Bluffton, Angola, Mishawaka and now Merrillville.
The ride traverses nearly 1,000 miles across Indiana over 13 days, stopping in communities to meet with survivors, those who have lost loved ones in the line of duty, and visit memorials and gravesites.
This year pays tribute to the two Indiana officers whose line‑of‑duty deaths were formally recognized in 2025: Reserve Deputy Sheriff John C. Stahl III of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and Cpl. Blake Adair Reynolds of the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office.
Their photos have been added to the organization’s support truck, which has become a “rolling memorial” showing the faces and stories of more than 500 Indiana officers who have died in the line of duty.
It is Monroe County Sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Nathan Peach’s 12th year participating in the Ride to Remember. He started riding in it after his shift partner, Deputy Sheriff Sarah Haylett-Jones, died in the line of duty in October 2008 after being struck by a vehicle. She was directing traffic, he said.
“It was a huge loss,” Peach said. “Our second line-of-duty death was actually in 2021. It was James Driver. He was also involved in a car crash. And so, you never know, you know? You never know when it’s going to happen. And being involved with this organization when James died, I was already thinking about this truck, just that James’s picture is going to be up there now. It was definitely an interesting year to be a rider.”
Holly Heath, Cops Cycling for Survivors’ vice president, said the organization raises money for the families of fallen officers, as well as supporting multiple foundations and scholarships. When the group stayed in Merrillville, they met with those who had lost loved ones in the line of duty for an evening of remembrance and a shared meal at a local church.
“You know, it’s kind of come full circle,” Heath said. “Here we are cycling to support all the survivors, right? And we’re meeting with them to give them comfort and peace, friendship and fellowship. And here, all these survivors are actually helping us by cheering us on along the way and providing meals for us, finding places for us to stay and feeding us breakfast in the morning.”
On Saturday, the cyclists continued their ride to Kentland and will eventually end up in Bloomington on July 17. On July 18, the ride will end at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis with a ceremony in the Heroes of Public Safety section.
The tradition began in 2002 as a ride to the nation’s capital and has since grown over the years, said Sgt. Kevin Getz of the Indiana State Police Bloomington District. Getz has participated since 2007 and said it began with a handful of people. Like many of the participants, he has a collection of Cops Cycling for Survivors T-shirts that are gifted out every year.
“I can tell you every one of these folks that wear this shirt, they’ve been affected by losing somebody,” Getz said. “I’ve lost coworkers. I lost a friend. When you read that Officer Down Memorial Page, it’s emotional. It’s heartbreaking. I would love for my friend Dave Rich to be back so he could be with his family. But despite the tears, there’s also laughter, and there’s fellowship, and there’s a bond.”
For more information, donation opportunities and route details, visit www.copscycling4survivors.org.
Anna Ortiz is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
