Eat Pancakes, Help Buy CPD Bulletproof Vests At 'Get Behind The Vest'

CHICAGO – 19th Ward Ald. Matt O’Shea’s tenth annual Get Behind the Vest Pancake Breakfast will be held on Sunday, Feb. 25. Stop by for pancakes from 8 a.m., to noon at St. John Fisher School, 10200 S. Washtenaw Ave. Additionally, Ald. O’Shea will once again join forces with WGN-AM Radio’s Home Sweet Home Chicago with David Hochberg, to host a “Vest-A-Thon” on Saturday, Feb. 24.

The Get Behind the Vest Pancake Breakfast and Radiothon benefits the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation’s initiative, which purchases bullet proof vests for Chicago Police officers.

Admission to the pancake breakfast is $5 per person or $25 for families, which includes all you can eat Original Pancake House – Beverly pancakes and sausage.

The WGN Radio Vest-A-Thon will be aired live on WGN-AM/720 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24. The Vest-a-Thon will feature stories of officers whose lives have been impacted by bullet proof vests, who will share their perspective on the increasingly difficult work they do each day. Donors to the Vest-A-Thon will have the opportunity to win incredible prizes including skybox experiences at many of Chicago’s best teams, sports paraphernalia, and much more.

Donations will be accepted by visiting cpdvest.com, or by calling 872-262-8378 (VEST). To volunteer, donate sports tickets, or other items to be given away throughout the Vest-a-Thon, please email mattoshea@the19thward.com.

“Chicago Police officers have extremely difficult jobs and see and experience things that most of us could never dream of,” O’Shea said in news release. “We must provide our officers with all the tools possible to ensure that they are safe and will return home to their loved ones at the end of each shift. It is imperative that Chicago police officers have access to equipment with the latest technology advancements, and the funds raised through the Get Behind The Vest Pancake Breakfast and Vest-A-Thon will help to provide that.”

In the past ten years, O’Shea’s Get Behind the Vest Pancake Breakfast has raised more than $580,000 to purchase bullet proof vests for Chicago police Officers, which need to be replaced every five years. After receiving a complimentary vest when they join the force, it is the officer’s responsibility to replace their vest at an expense of at least $600. To date, the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation has replaced almost 13,000 vests for officers, with 1,000 more slated in 2024.

O’Shea sits on the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation Advisory Board and the Chicago Police Chaplains Ministry Board of Directors. He represents the communities of Beverly, Morgan Park and Mount Greenwood, where thousands of first responders reside.

The Get Behind the Vest Pancake Breakfast is generously co-hosted by Saint John Fisher Parish, the Harrigan Family and the Original Pancake House (Beverly).

For more information on Alderman Matt O’Shea’s Pancake Breakfast, benefiting the Get Behind the Vest initiative, or to support this great cause, please call 773-238-8766 or visit www.the19thward.com