A FORMER Kerang man who is one of the 159 Victorian Police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty will be honoured when the March2Remember starts today.
It will also be a fund-raiser for the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation.
Robert “Rocky” Lane was a Detective Senior Constable Lane at Swan Hill, when he was murdered on the morning of Friday, July 13, 1979, when he visited Kyalite to make enquiries in relation to a stolen car. The offender was arrested and jailed, but Robert Lane left behind his wife Valerie, and daughters Dana and Chelsea.
Team Rocky is doing the first 50-kilometre relay from Swan Hill to Kerang carrying a baton with the names of all 159 members who died on duty.
The first leg will be lead by Leading Senior Constable Jason Lane, a serving Victoria Police highway patrol officer at Fawkner and a nephew of Robert ‘Rocky’ Lane. Also in the team is Detective Sergeant Gerry Mercovich from Hume Crime Investigation Unit and Flemington police officer, Constable Ben Ashmole.
All of the team are raising money for the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation and raising awareness about the effect of Post Trauamtic Stress Disorder and clinical depression on police members.
The baton will continue its relay with the second leg from Kerang to Serpentine, and during the following eight days teams will head to Melbourne and will end up at the police memorial on Police Remembrance Day, Thursday, September 29.
All funds raised by the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation are returned to the community by way of emergency medical equipment for Victorian public hospitals. This equipment is then named in honour of a fallen Victorian Police member.
Blue Ribbon is, ‘Remembering lives by saving others’.
