The Greensboro Police Foundation is throwing open the doors of its biggest annual fundraiser next month, and this year's guest list will get closer to GPD's specialized units than most residents ever do. The Blue Salute returns to Greensboro Country Club on Thursday, October 1, running from 6:30 to 9:30 pm, with a silent auction and displays featuring GPD personnel and equipment.
According to a Greensboro Police Department Facebook post announcing the event, the gala will showcase K-9 officers, motorcycles, specialty vehicles, a BEAR armored vehicle, and a mobile command center, alongside the department's CSI and SWAT units and other tools and technology. The event is presented by the DeJoy-Wos Family Foundation, which has served as title sponsor since 2019 and supports the gala through multi-year pledges, according to the Louis DeJoy and Aldona Wos Family Foundation. That philanthropic foundation is led by former U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and former ambassador Aldona Wos.
A Fundraising Track Record Built Over Years
The Greensboro Police Foundation was founded in 2012 as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit and has raised more than $2.5 million over the years to supplement police equipment, training, officer recognition and community outreach, according to the Greensboro Police Foundation. Last year's Blue Salute alone raised more than $181,000 for the foundation's initiatives, while its inaugural Bee Safe Drive Fore Blue golf tournament brought in another $118,911, the foundation's numbers show. Those proceeds go directly toward equipment grants and officer recognition programs, per the same account.
The foundation's grant-making has had an outsized effect on how GPD equips its officers. A $125,000 grant in 2013 funded body-worn cameras for the entire patrol force, according to the City of Greensboro. Body cameras have since become standard equipment at major law enforcement agencies nationwide.
Equipment Purchased Outside the Tax Budget
Foundation donations have also funded larger equipment purchases over the years, including a $120,000 Freightliner mobile command center in 2017, according to WFMY News 2. The mobile command center was among the department's equipment purchases, the station reported. The foundation's reach extends beyond tactical gear, too.
All of this private fundraising supplements GPD's public operations. The department serves the Greensboro community.
A Historic Venue With Its Own Backstory
This year's gala unfolds at Greensboro Country Club, a venue with an 18-hole golf course.
The Blue Salute arrives about a month after the conclusion of court proceedings tied to the December 2023 fatal shooting of GPD Sgt. Philip Dale Nix, a case that closed in August after the final two defendants were sentenced: John W. Morrison received 15 to 20 years in prison, while Z'Quriah Blackwell received time served with a maximum term of 16 to 29 months, as Hoodline previously reported. Nix was a 23-year veteran officer who was killed while off-duty attempting to stop a theft. The case's resolution came ahead of this year's fundraiser.
