GRAND ISLAND, Neb. --  A community in Central Nebraska has come together and helped finance a trip to the US capital to commemorate one of its own.

The trip is in honor of officer Christopher Marcello, who died unexpectedly in 2022. Hall County Crime Stoppers raised $32,000 to finance a trip to Washington D.C. The group is covering all travel and hotel expenses for officers, the Marcello family and is assisting with extended family expenses.

Board member Taylor Lemburg said it's the least they could do for a family that’s still grieving. 

“They still have, obviously, very hard days ahead of them," Lemburg said. "Of course, with this freedom ride and the memorials that he is going to be inducted into – national and state, it gives the opportunity for that family to have closure but also for the community to know what Chris Marcello meant to them as well."

Each year during police week, officers from all over the nation come together in Washington to memorialize those who passed away in the line of duty.

Grand Island Police Chief Kevin Denney is among those going on the trip.

“Myself and three others will be biking with a group of many hundreds of police officers that yearly bike into D.C. from the south side and from the north side. So we bike in over a three-day period into Washington DC and the bike riders are biking for the families of the fallen officers from the previous year,” Denney said. 

He said the trip is meant to honor Marcello’s legacy. 

“This will help us a lot as a police department, as a community show some closure to officer Marcello’s family and to show the pride that we have him being police officers in joining arms with other police officers from around the nation,” Denney said. 

Officer Jose Rodriguez was close to Marcello. Marcello's widow selected him to be her companion on the trip. 

“The guy had the right things to say all the time, whether it was funny and brought the mood up or if it was just genuine counseling sessions and being a friend and just being there for you,” Rodriguez said. 

He said Marcello was a role model and he is honored he got to meet a great father, husband, friend and brother.