WALKER, Michigan — Dozens of golf carts sat between the tee boxes on the first hole of Gracewil Country Club, full of law enforcement personnel and supporters. They're not on duty, instead, they're supporting one another and honoring the memory of one of their own - slain GRPD officer Robert 'Bobby' Kozminski.
It's been 15 years since Kozminski was murdered while on duty. He was responding to a domestic violence call in July of 2007 when he was fatally shot. Since then, yearly fundraisers have been held in his name, benefitting future law enforcement members in the city he swore to protect.
"All the money goes to his scholarship at Grand Rapids Community College," said Richard Kozminski, Robert's father. "We give out one or two scholarships every year to a young man or woman studying at the GRCC police academy."
Bobby Kozminski graduated from GRCC's Police Academy in 1999. The funds have paved the way for officers like Roy Pettit, who graduated last year and joined the Wyoming Department of Public Safety. Recipients are chosen by the family from an essay contest. Pettit says he wrote his entry on the importance of integrity, caring and honesty when serving your community.
"Its humbling to have received the scholarship, I think it’s very important that we honor him and his sacrifice," Pettit said. "Robert Kozminski was obviously a hero and he deserves to be honored and respected in every way."
Richard Kozminski said they won't know how much money was raised from this years classic for a few days, but expects it to be on par with past events where upwards of $8,000 has been donated to make college more affordable to people like Roy and other winners.
"We’re not going to be able to do this forever, so we need to build up that fund as much as we can," he said. "Every year even after the wife and I are gone they’ll still be giving out the Robert A Kozminski scholarship."
More information about the scholarship can be found on GRCC's website.
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