Since 1990, the CPOF has hosted PROJECT 2000, an annual four-day gathering for correctional officers and families. Each gathering recognizes those men and women in the corrections profession who lost their lives in the line of duty the preceding year.
PROJECT 2000 started as a way to honor Correctional Staff killed in the line of duty in 1990. Since then, it has evolved to include honoring officers who are assaulted, celebrate those who go above the call of duty in heroism, provides relief for families going through catastrophic events and showcases what it truly means to be a family.
PROJECT officially kicks off with a welcome dinner on Thursday night. It is an opportunity to dress up and dine in the ballroom. The pageantry of the event includes Honor Guard teams from across the nation. Bag pipers provide entertainment and honor the families of the fallen as well as the military branches that serve the United States. It is a moving event that joins everyone in the room as a family.
Friday morning, all officers killed in the line of duty are honored with a memorial service that is opened to the public. The names are read, the bell is rung, the pipers play and the shotguns ring out in a fitting 21-gun salute. These brave men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice in their chosen profession are honored as the heroes that they are.
Following the memorial service, lunch is served in the ballroom and these families continue to be honored on behalf of their loved ones. The focus is solely on supporting, recognizing and paying tribute to the families of the officers who lost their lives.
Friday night is truly about fellowship. There is delicious food served with great music and correctional families coming together. You can hear the laughter of children from down the hall. This is when strangers from all walks of life and every part of the country become lifelong friends. Bonds are formed that stand the test of time.
Saturday continues to honor the fallen families, but also recognizes officers who have survived assaults and officers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. The luncheon is dedicated to sharing the experiences of those officers and correctional staff and brings awareness to the ongoing threats correctional staff experience on a regular basis.
The official festivities of PROJECT ends with the Sunday morning prayer breakfast. This casual breakfast warms both the stomach and the soul. It is an opportunity to celebrate the children of correctional staff, share your experiences of the event and say your “see you next times” to those that are now a part of your family.
While PROJECT 2000 involves 4 seated meal functions and the annual memorial service, there is so much more happening in the background. The most popular of which is the KIDS room.
CPOF’s KIDS room is a part of PROJECT that focuses solely on the children of correctional staff that are attending PROJECT. This room is decked out with video games, toys, arts and crafts, and just really fun activities. While the room travels from PROJECT to PROJECT, the extra activities vary from year to year. Consistently, you will find “Teen night”, an opportunity for the teenagers (with volunteer chaperones) to have a fun night near-by. In past years, they’ve been able to visit arcades, movie theaters, race go-karts and have a night of care-free fun. While the teens are experiencing their outing, the younger kids are having their own “kids only” party with pizza, ice cream sundaes and often a special visitor or two. All of the children experience the fun of pool parties, field trips and new friends.
While the kids are having a blast, there are plenty of seminars, workshops and other events available to both correctional staff and their families.
There is nothing like being in a hotel surrounded by your correctional family. The involvement of what PROJECT has become is astonishing. What started as a dream for few to pay final respect to officers killed in the line of duty has evolved into an event that celebrates, recognizes and honors all correctional staff across this nation.
This event is attended by Honor Guards across the nation and Canada. They arrive early and practice repeatedly to have a flawless memorial service filled with pageantry and beauty that leaves those in attendance with goosebumps and feelings of patriotism. It is an event that once you attend for the first time, you have a true and deep understanding of what it is to “Take Care Of Our Own.
PROJECT 2000 XXXV will take place in Seattle, Washington from Thursday, June 13 – Sunday, June 16, 2024. Registration is limited to the first 600 attendees. Registration for this event will open on our website on January 12, 2024.