Fundraisers underway to help Chicopee police officer recovering from heart attack

CHICOPEE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - The community is coming together to support a Chicopee police officer who is off the job right now while he recovers from a heart attack.

“He’s really doing excellent today in my eyes. He’s come such a long way. He’s been asleep all these days, knowing very little. They were all there for him…Hi Mark, we’re popular tonight, honey,” said Joan Wilkes, mother of Chicopee Police Officer Mark Wilkes.

Wilkes shared good news about her son, who is currently hospitalized after suffering a massive heart attack following the annual ‘Battle of the Badges’ hockey game he played in earlier this month. Now, the community is coming together to help Wilkes and his family. The Chicopee Police Association is collecting donations with the sale of hockey pucks sporting Officer Wilkes’ badge number and a window decal featuring a green Shrek ogre, which holds special meaning for Wilkes.

“When the movie first came out, a lot of the kids, Mark works in Wilimansett, down by the Boys and Girls Club, a lot of the kids saw him, he’s a big friendly guy, so they started calling him Shrek and he embraced it and that’s what he kept,” said Chicopee Police Officer Travis Odiorne.

Local businesses also stepping in to help, including Leadfoot Brewing, where a fundraiser is being held Friday night to support Officer Wilkes.

“We heard about the officer’s condition like a week ago and we wanted to do something…One of my employees is a firefighter, part-time working here, and he suggested we reach out,” said Patrick Randall, owner of Leadfoot Brewing.

Folks at the brewery told Western Mass News that it’s important to them to support the people that keep Chicopee safe

“These guys are out here doing things for us all the time and we don’t really even think about what they’re doing, so to me, it’s important to show our support for those people because they do so much for us,” Randall noted.

“He really appreciates all your support and prayers and I do too, believe me,” Joan Wilkes said.

For anyone interested in attending, the fundriser at Leadfoot Brewing is taking place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday.

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