'Their Memory Is Going To Be Eternal:' Ride Honoring Fallen Police Officers Makes Stop In Western Pennsylvania

AMBRIDGE (KDKA) - It was a moving memorial - literally and figuratively - honoring the lives of fallen police officers.

The End of Watch Ride made two stops in western Pennsylvania on Saturday in Ambridge and Aliquippa.

The group behind the ride is trying to keep the memory of those lost alive.

From Washington to western Pennsylvania, it pays tribute to fallen officers lost in the line of duty, and on Saturday it remembered the lives of two local police chiefs who died within hours of one another.

"It's nice to know that their memory is going to be eternal," said John Chickos, an Ambridge Police Department patrolman.

The moving tribute features the names and faces of more than 300 police officers who died last year, including the late Ambridge interim police chief, Mark Romutis, and the late Aliquippa police chief Rob Sealock.

Both died within hours of one another in April 2020, both from COVID-19.

Those losses are still felt in their respective departments.

"It was really tough on all of us officers here because Mark wasn't only our chief he was our friend and he did a lot for all of us and we do greatly miss him," Chickos said.

Janet Caldarelli was part of the Ambridge Borough Council when Romutis was rehired in an interim role.

"He was very special to us, he was always there when you needed him, he'd answer any questions, he was always there for the public," she said. "Any time you needed him he was there."

Saturday was the second year this traveling memorial has crossed the country.

The group in charge is known as "Beyond The Call Of Duty."

In addition to the ride, they also raise money for the fallen officers' families.

Saturday marked day 65 of their road trip.

"It makes us more humble and every night we talk about it and every day is a humbling day and blessed day for us to be able to do this," said founder Jagrut Shah.

The group has 19 days left on their journey, with the next stop being Charleston, West Virginia.

By the time they've honored all of the officers and return home, they will have reached 23,000 miles in just 84 days.