Fort Myers Police 5K Brings Out 550 Runners, Remembers Fallen Officers
Fighting through cold weather, 550 people showed up for the annual Cops & Joggers 5K on Jan. 11, 2025. The Fort Myers Police Department had to move the event from October because of Hurricane Milton’s impact.
The run, which started in 2008, honors two fallen heroes — Officer Andrew Widman, who was killed in the line of duty, and Officer Adam Jobbers-Miller, who lost his life from gunshot wounds. The money raised helps the Fallen Officers Memorial Fund and Brotherhood Ride, which provides support to the families of fallen officers.
“I work in the county, so I kind of work behind the scenes. So I can tell you I’ll be running as hard as I can, you know just to support and show up for these people who have fallen,” Kenneth Perez, who signed up to run, told NBC2.
The event featured live music, vendors, and fun for families. Kids jumped in bounce houses and watched K9 shows while parents chatted with local police officers.
“It gives us an opportunity to interact with, you know, with the community that we serve, we have our SWAT people here. We have all our vendors, our great vendors that help us and participate and put this all together. It’s like one big family fun night,” Captain Roger Valdiva told NBC2.
