Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Thomas Gleason (Image courtesy of Officer Down Memorial)
A tradition, which began with the loss of a Philadelphia cop, carries on in Horsham.
The holidays are a time for family, friends, and favorite traditions, and one of the Horsham Township favorites is coming up soon. On Tuesday, Dec. 10, the memories will be stirred as the annual lighting is scheduled once again.
What began as one woman’s way of showing support and remembering her son-in-law in 1988, has now become an annual tradition, and not just in Horsham. Nationwide, Project Blue Light is a torch carried on by thousands of officers since.
At its onset, a Philadelphia local, Dolly Craig, wrote a simple letter to the Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS). She told the organization that she’d be honoring her late son-in-law, Philadelphia Police Officer Danny Gleason, over the holiday season.
Gleason, who was 38 at the time, had served the department for over 15 years, when he was shot and killed on duty. He and his partner responded to a report of vandalism to a vehicle on West Sedgley Avenue near North Broad Street on June 5, 1986, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.
Gleason and his partner arrived at the scene and were approached by two people who were standing nearby the corner, to ask if they knew anything about this vehicle, said reports. Immediately, a man drew a handgun, opened fire, and struck Gleason three times in the face and three times in the arm and side.
Though he was transported to Temple University Hospital, Gleason was pronounced dead, said reports. According to reports, police said that the shooter was one who’d “had a hatred for white police officers” and had previously had “vowed to kill any that ever stopped him,” said the ODM website.
Court reports show that the man was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison on Nov. 29, 1986. Gleason was survived by his wife and six children. (Sadly, his wife died three years later in a vehicular accident, orphaning the six.)
Three years later, as her daughter passed as well, Dolly Craig opted to mourn her loss both with a letter and a vow to light two blue candles in her living room window. And though Craig has since passed on as well, her tradition has carried on and far larger than the local vicinity.
Horsham Township will host its local celebration, carrying on the community’s annual event which has been in place since 1999. Now in its 25th year, a tree planted by the Horsham Township Police Department in Deep Meadow Park on Horsham Road has blossomed into a local “home” for the Project Blue Light.
Planted to honor officers who’ve lost their lives in the line of duty, the evergreen tree is decorated each holiday season and continues to honor both those fallen heroes, as well as the country-wide project.
The public is invited to attend the 2024 lighting of the blue lights, 1,000 in count, that represent all law enforcement officers, honoring their service and dedication. In addition to the thousand blue sparkling lights, there is also one white light for each Montgomery County Police Officer who has died in the line of duty. To date, there are 29 white lights remembering those lives.
“We ask each of you to please consider placing a blue light in your window during the holiday season to support your police officers,” said an announcement on the township’s website.
The Horsham Township Project Blue Light event will be hosted at the Horsham Township Community Center, 1025 Horsham Road. Parking will be available at the municipal complex of the same address. All ages are welcome to attend the free event, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10.
