Sharing Our Journey With The Honor Network

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Sharing Our Journey With The Honor Network: A Personal Experience

Pam Kennedy • Aug 18, 2023

In July 2022, our community tragically lost a beloved 29-year veteran of the Rochester, NY Police Department, Officer Mazurkiewicz, in the line of duty.

Officer Mazurkiewicz was known as a true "cop’s cop," deeply devoted to serving the community and his fellow officers.

Throughout his distinguished career, he received numerous awards and accolades, including the Life Saving award, Officer of the Month award, seven Unit Commendation awards, 17 Excellent Police Service awards, 32 Chief's Letters of Commendation, and the Good Conduct award for 29 years of exemplary service without a single complaint.

His passion and commitment were evident to everyone who knew him. At Gabe’s Pride, we’d like to take the opportunity to say how we, along with our community, mourn the loss of Officer Mazurkiewicz, and his memory will always hold a special place in our hearts.

We learned that Chris Heisler, President and CEO of The Honor Network, would bring the United States Honor Flag to Rochester for the funeral ceremony. Gabe’s Pride has supported his organization for many years so our father, Gabe, graciously offered him a place to stay during his visit.

This allowed our family, including several of our children, to meet Chris and learn more about his devotion to the Honor Network’s mission.

What is the Honor Network?

The United States Honor Flag's origin can be traced back to the aftermath of the September 11th, 2001 attacks. Chris Heisler was gifted an American flag and a Texas flag by the Texas House of Representatives as a gesture of gratitude for leading Texas first responders to Ground Zero.

Accompanied by these flags, Chris led the largest convoy of first responders in U.S. history to Ground Zero, providing support during that tragic event. The American flag that traveled with him to honor the fallen heroes of 9/11 became known as The United States Honor Flag, a symbol ensuring that their bravery and commitment would never be forgotten.

In 2008, The Honor Network, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded by Chris with a strong conviction: every person dedicated to serving our communities and country deserves the support of every American.

This organization also stresses the importance of fostering American patriotism to keep our nation united. Through their efforts, they emphasize the significance of respecting and honoring those who fight for and protect our freedoms.

Our profound experience with the Honor Flag in Rochester

At Grand Design Owners' rallies held throughout the year, Pam and Steve from Gabe's Pride spend time with Chris and his wife, Cindy Heisler.

Cindy is a retired police officer who currently serves as the Honor Guard Instructor for the Colorado Professional Firefighters Foundation (CPFF).

At these rallies, The Honor Network carries out a variety of functions such as opening ceremonies, seminars, or if the flag is available, an Honor Flag presentation honoring a hero at the rally.

Pam and Steve have expressed that whenever they watch one of these events, particularly when a hero is being honored, the emotions they feel are just as intense as the first time they heard about it, often bringing tears to their eyes. What’s more, observing the emotion of the hero being honored is truly heartwarming.

The rest of our team hadn't experienced this until Chris brought the United States Honor Flag to our community to honor our fallen hero - Officer Mazurkiewicz.

It was truly remarkable to witness how busy Chris was for several days, tirelessly meeting with Officer Mazurkiewicz's family, fellow police officers, community leaders, and others to coordinate the funeral ceremony.

Before he departed, Chris kindly offered to open the flag case and showed us The United States Honor Flag.

This allowed us to learn more about his history and the inspiration behind starting The Honor Network, which he continues to passionately support. You can find more details about this in our blog from last year right here.

As if all this hard work wasn’t enough, Chris and Cindy have also become part of the Grand Design Impact Team. This team now consists of The United States Honor Flag, The Campoholics, It's MeRaini Lee, and Courtney Spencer, who strive to make a positive impact on others within the many communities they visit.

Each member contributes uniquely, creating a community-driven effort to make a difference.

Engaging in meaningful events: Chris and Cindy's impact

Having covered millions of miles of travel, the Honor Flag’s journey spans land, sea, and space.

Chris has been an integral part of the flag's journey, accompanying it to countless ceremonies across the United States, except for its exceptional appearance on Space Shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station in 2011 during NASA's final shuttle mission.

If the last 20 years of extensive travel, education, and inspiration haven't already demonstrated the huge demand for the United States Honor Flag, there's more to the story.

Chris and Cindy, along with the Grand Design Impact Team continue to be actively involved in events and recently they have:

Participated in a Christmas in July event by packing a Grand Design Momentum Toy Hauler with Toys for Tots.
Organized a blood drive in Florida.
Created blankets for a domestic violence shelter.
Assembled hero bags for the Police in Michigan.
Contributed to rebuilding a house destroyed by a hurricane in Florida.
Coordinated donation collections for the local Humane Society in Georgia.
Took part in painting a gazebo.
Undertook a cleanup project in Zion National Park during the Washington State Rally.
Volunteered their time at a Tuscan food bank.
Fulfilled the dreams of ten girls by providing prom gowns, accessories, makeup, and hair services, among other endeavors.

Every day, our law enforcement, first responders, and military personnel put their lives on the line to ensure our families and communities remain safe.

At Gabe's Pride, we are humbled by the selflessness of individuals like Officer Mazurkiewicz, and many others who dedicate so much to the benefit of others. Their actions have touched countless lives in ways that may never be fully realized.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Chris and Cindy for their commitment to honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and Gabe’s Pride continues our support by donating a percentage of every sale to their mission to bring the United States Honor Flag to all of our country’s fallen heroes.