Cork & Bean Hosts Fundraiser For Fallen Chicago Police Officers

OAK LAWN, IL — It will be four years this week – Dec. 17 – when Chicago Police Officers Conrad Gary and Eduardo Marmolejo were struck and killed by a train while engaged in a foot pursuit with a suspect who had gone on to the Metra tracks.

Gary, 31, and Marmolejo, 36, were both fathers of young children and had been assigned to the 5th Chicago Police District, that had already suffered the loss of two officers who had taken their own lives. The man they were pursuing, Edward Brown, was arrested the same evening. He told police that he found the gun on the tracks and was “testing” it when Shot Spotter picked up gunfire. Brown pleaded guilty to charges in 2021 and was sentenced to one year in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

This Saturday, Dec. 17, the Cork & Bean, 4931 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn, will host a fundraiser from 1 to 4 p.m. on behalf of the 100 Club of Illinois. Owner Eileen Desmond is the aunt of Gary’s wife, Kelly. Gary grew up in Oak Lawn and was a 2005 graduate of Oak Lawn Community High School. Conrad and Kelly moved to Mount Greenwood when Gary joined the Chicago Police Department. He was with the police force for 18 months before his death.

Marmolejo, called “Lalo” by his family and friends, lived in West Beverly with his wife and three daughters. Prior to joining the Chicago Police Department, Marmolejo had been an emergency room technician at Advocate Christ Medical Center. He had been with the force for two years when he died in the line of duty. Marmolejo was a graduate of Reavis High School in Burbank, as was Gary’s wife.

S&T Provisions, 3804 W. 111th St., Chicago, will be serving be selling fresh, hot individual pizzas for $10. Attendees can also purchase various vouchers for cheese, sausage, gluten-free, mozzarella and pizza sauce set-ups ranging in price from $13 to $21. S&T will be donating a portion of pizza and voucher sales to the 100 Club of Illinois.

Cork & Bean will be donating a portion of its own sales to the 100 Club from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The 100 Club of Illinois provides resources, financial support, access to training, and moral support to families of first responders killed in the line of duty and active duty first responders who’ve suffered catastrophic injuries. All sworn federal, state, county and local first responders stationed in Illinois are included.

“Conrad was an Oak Lawn native. His parents still live here. We’ve gotten close to Eduardo’s wife and daughters,” said Eileen Desmond. “We just want to keep Conrad and Eduardo’s memories alive.”