A stalwart of a police charity motorbike ride that remembers fallen officers will be honoured during this year's event.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Les Lipinski, was not a police officer, but he was dedicated to seeing the Wall to Wall: Ride for Remembrance raise as much money as possible for Police Legacy.
He sadly passed away this year and his contribution to the cause will be recognised with the ride, starting from Kiama on September 12, dedicated to him.
Each year, commissioners from each police jurisdiction carry a baton which has a hollow centre to allow for the name of any fallen officers to be carried on the ride.
Open to serving and retired members and supporters of policing, contingents from each state ride to Canberra to commemorate the service and sacrifice of lost officers.
Wollongong's Senior Constable Brack Lipinski asked his father Les to be a part of the southern contingent's ride four years ago.
"This was supposed to be our fifth year together but he passed away five months ago," Snr Con Lipinski said. "It is heartwarming this year's ride will be dedicated to him.
"The Wall to Wall ride remembers mates, and thankfully we don't have any police officers whose names need to go into the baton. Unfortunately, my father, who was not a police officer but a mate to everyone, won't be there.
"It is touching the organisers want to remember him."
Snr Con Lipinski said his father was a run-of-the-mill Aussie bloke who would drop everything for anybody and would help them out.
"My father was proud of the career I had chosen and always had a mateship mentality," he said.
A convoy of Cleary Bros trucks will lead the convoy this year, as Les Lipinski worked for the family-operated company for about 30 years.
"The Cleary Bros company is like a family, similar to the police force, and Dad was proud to work there. He loved it," Snr Con Lipinski said.
Youth Command Chief Inspector Paul Allman, who organises the southern contingent of the ride, said he was glad the event could still go ahead, albeit a little differently than past years.
"This year we will ride from Kiama up Macquaire Pass, into the Southern Highlands and back down to the South Coast," he said.
"We will be enforcing social distancing requirements and riders will be wearing masks. We hope to provide a good example of motorbike riding and will follow COVID-19 restrictions."
Insp Allman said first responders had been through a stressful six months since COVID-19 started and he hoped police officers could relax and enjoy themselves on the ride.
"Many of our police officers have gone to the border or have been sent to hotel quarantine duty so we hope this ride helps them wind down," he said.
Insp Allman was glad the ride did not need to be cancelled.
"We hope to raise money for Police Legacy but it also gives us a chance to check on each other and to look after our mental health," he said.
"We will also remember Les, who was part of the blue family."
Rider numbers are expected to be down from previous years, but people can still register via the website.
We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.