23rd ANNUAL EVENT HONORS LOCAL POLICE IN FIGHT AGAINST DUI

*** VIDEO OF TODAY’S VIRTUAL CEREMONY VIEWABLE AT https://youtu.be/o6Bs9JsUZak ***

Washington, DC, Dec. 11 – Eighteen (18) Washington-metropolitan area police officers were cited today for their “outstanding commitment in the fight against drunk driving in Greater Washington” and presented with the area’s 23rd-annual “Law Enforcement Awards of Excellence for Impaired Driving Prevention.”

Bestowed this morning, virtually, due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) presented its 2020 Law Enforcement Awards to:

• Officer Anggelo Suarez City of Alexandria Police Department
• Officer Anthony Gatto Arlington County Police Department
• Officer Bryce Cooper City of Falls Church Police Department
• Private First Class Zachary Davis City of Fairfax Police Department
• 2nd Lieutenant Jason A. Long Fairfax County Police Department
• Police Officer First Class Brian Donoghue Fairfax County Police Department
• Police Officer First Class Sergio Andrade Fairfax County Police Department
• Private First Class Jonathan Heavner Town of Herndon Police Department
• Deputy First Class Mark Sarrichio Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office
• Trooper First Class Anthony Wallace Maryland State Police
• Officer Roderick Saunders Metropolitan Police Department
• Corporal Patricia Cox Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
• Officer Patrick Kepp Montgomery County Department of Police
• Corporal Thomas Kosakowski Prince George’s County Police Department
• Officer Chad Mason Prince William County Police Department
• Officer Aram Karapetyan United States Capitol Police
• Officer Christopher Gogarty United States Park Police
• Trooper Jordan Corvin Virginia State Police

This morning’s virtual, annual awards – viewable online at https://youtu.be/o6Bs9JsUZak — were bestowed by WRAP in memory of Metropolitan Police Department Motor Patrol Officer Anthony W. Simms. Officer Simms, as a result of injuries sustained while on duty, lost his life to an impaired driver during Memorial Day weekend in 1996. WRAP’s 2020 Law Enforcement Awards were presented online today via a video hosted by the nonprofit featuring longtime event Master of Ceremonies Melissa Mollet (NBC Washington) and U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA) who read the names of this year’s honorees into the U.S. Congressional Record.

“This year’s awardees represent the front lines in Greater Washington’s continuing fight against drunk driving,” said Kurt Erickson, WRAP’s President. “Their collective effort to annually arrest and remove nearly 14,000 drunk drivers from Washington-metropolitan area roadways has undoubtedly saved lives.”

In addition to receiving the Law Enforcement Awards, each of the 2020 WRAP honorees also received a pair of complementary Washington Nationals tickets (courtesy of the Washington Nationals) and a $ 25 gift card to Glory Days Grill (courtesy of Glory Days Grill).

Sponsors of WRAP’s 2020 Law Enforcement Awards & Holiday Campaign Kick-Off included The Beer Institute, Breakthru Beverage Washington, D.C., Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, GEICO, George Washington University Hospital, Glory Days Grill, Interstate Moving | Relocation | Logistics, Lyft and PAS Systems International.

Founded in 1982, the nonprofit [501(c)(3)] Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) is a coalition of diverse interests using effective education, innovative programs and targeted advocacy to end alcohol-impaired driving and underage drinking in the Washington, DC metro area. Through public education, innovative health education programs and advocacy, WRAP is credited with historically keeping the metro-Washington area’s alcohol-related traffic deaths lower than the national average. WRAP, however, may best be known to area residents via the organization’s popular free safe ride service for would-be drunk drivers, SoberRide®.