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By Kerry Brookes
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ARUNDEL, Maine (WMTW) – Portland Police honored a retired police officer who died on Saturday with a commemorative bike ride.
Robert ‘Jeff’ Hawkins was an officer in Portland for 18 years before retiring in 2018.
In June, he was killed in a South Portland motorcycle crash that also seriously injured his wife, Erin.
At least 50 bikers and their police escort left DiMillo’s in Portland on Saturday morning.
A member of the Portland Police Force rode one of the department’s brand new motorcycles. The bike is dedicated to Hawkins, commemorated by a sticker with his nickname, Hawk.
A few hours later, they roared in the parking lot of Bentley’s Saloon, a bar in Arundel popular with bikers.
One of the event’s organizers, Janine Roberts, says we miss Jeff very much.
“There were several times along the way where I cried thinking he should be here with us,” she said. “He was a very close friend of mine, but he also made everyone feel that he was their best friend.”
All proceeds from event registration and raffles have gone to Erin Hawkins as she continues to recover from the accident that killed her husband.
There is also a GoFundMe page that raises funds for Erin, who has reached over $ 76,000 of the $ 100,000 goal.
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