The fourth annual Jarid Taylor Memorial 5K & Fun Run was Saturday in Durant and the event raises funds for Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) and the Jarid Taylor Memorial Fund.
Taylor was a deputy with the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office and he gave his life in the line of duty while en route to an emergency call on Jan. 14, 2020, when his patrol car slid off the road on Old Highway 70 during the rain and crashed.
In 2021, Taylor’s family started the 5K and fun run in his memory and it is held the last Saturday in July because Taylor’s birthday was July 28.
Taylor Shipp, cousin of Deputy Taylor, spoke the morning of the run and she said the Jarid Taylor Heart of a Hero award is presented to a cadet at every CLEET and KTC police academy graduation.
“The way that was kind of developed was we as a family, we sat down and we said, okay, these are the qualities that we know Jarid possessed as a person,” Shipp said. “So we went to CLEET and KTC and they have their cadets vote on a cadet out of their graduating class that they think also possessed those qualities. At every graduation, we get to go and we get to award a Jarid Taylor Heart of a Hero award.”
Proceeds are also given to the Oklahoma chapter of C.O.P.S.
James Lowe, interim president of Oklahoma chapter of COPS, spoke and he said the organization is about survivors helping other survivors.
“Our entire mission statement is to help families that have lost ones in law enforcement, be that getting them to counseling services or to any of our summer programs to send them to Washington D.C. every year to be recognized by the federal government for the sacrifice that their officer gave to this great nation. So on behalf of all of us at COPS, we appreciate all of you being here. Thank you very much for being a part of this.”
Shipp said Taylor would have turned 36 on July 28.
“We always like to celebrate his birthday at this event and we do have 23 balloons because his badge number was 23,” Shipp said. “His kiddos, Emma and Raylan, they’re going to come up and they’re going to lead us all in singing Jarid ‘Happy Birthday’ and then we’ll do a balloon release and our opening prayer.”
Shipp said when contacted Monday that the funds raised as of now will allow the awarding of four Heart of Hero awards throughout the year. The awards are presented in October, December, February and June.
“These awards include an eight by ten plaque and a $500 check for the recipient to use towards purchasing any needed supplies to help begin their law enforcement career,” Shipp said. “Then, we will be able to give at least $5,000 to OK COPS in Jarid’s name. To date, we have awarded five Heart of a Hero awards and have given a little over $10,000 to COPS. So this will get us to nine awards and over $15,000 given in his name.”
