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OPA News Release: [11/01/2004]
Contact Name: Dirk Fillpot
Phone Number: 202-693-4676
U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announces $1 Million In Funding for Scholarship Fund Benefiting Families of Fallen Officers
PITTSBURGH—U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today heard compelling testimonies from widows who have benefited from the Steve Young Memorial Scholarship program, which helps the spouses and families of police officers killed in the line of duty carry on with their lives. The Department of Labor announced initial funding for the scholarship program, administered by the National Fraternal Order of Police Foundation, in 2002. U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao joined Fraternal Order of Police National President, Chuck Canterbury, at a meeting today at FOP Lodge #91 in Allegheny County.
“This scholarship fund helps the families of fallen officers whose courage and dedication saved the lives of others in their communities,” U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao said. “We as a nation are grateful for their immeasurable sacrifices, and the Department of Labor is pleased to help honor their memories by providing an additional $1 million to this very special fund to benefit their families.”
The Resources and Investments in Spousal Employment (RISE) scholarship fund was renamed the Steve Young Memorial Scholarship program in August 2003. The late Steve Young was National President of the FOP when he lost a battle with cancer in January 2003. Young was inducted into the United States Department of Labor’s Labor Hall of Fame for his contributions to law enforcement and his country.
The scholarship program named in his honor is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and is administered by the National FOP Foundation to pay for education and job training, such as community college certification courses, graduate studies and other programs that help surviving spouses upgrade their jobs skills and find employment opportunities so they can support themselves and their families. Officers do not need to be FOP members in order for their surviving spouse to be eligible for the program.
On March 19, 2004, the FOP honored Secretary Chao for her work on behalf of law enforcement by presenting her with the FOP’s President’s Award at the National FOP Board Meeting in Philadelphia. The award is given out at the discretion of the FOP President on a non-rolling basis. Since 1915, fewer than 15 people have received the President’s Award for outstanding contributions to law enforcement.
The Honorable Elaine L. Chao is the nation’s 24th Secretary of Labor. Since her confirmation by the United States Senate on Jan. 29, 2001, she has been dedicated to carrying out the Department of Labor’s mission of inspiring and protecting the hardworking people of America. She is respected as an effective and articulate champion of the nation’s contemporary workforce, acting quickly to focus the Labor Department on the modern realities of workers’ lives.
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