By Laura Layden
Naples Daily News
NAPLES, Fla. — Ron Ziemba’s attention has gone from transportation to transformation.
Ziemba, the founder of American Comfort Limousines in Naples, has taken a step back from the day-to-day operations of his transportation business to start and run a charity he hopes will transform lives. The new nonprofit is called “First Responders Lives Matter.”
Moved by the recent rash of violence against law enforcement officers around the country, Ziemba felt a call to help. His charity will raise money to purchase more safety equipment for emergency workers and to help support their families when they’re injured or killed.
“I just got fed up with all these people being targeted,” Ziemba said.
He recalled the story in October about two police officers who were killed in California. One officer, a 35-year veteran, planned to retire soon. The other, a young mother, had recently returned to the force after maternity leave. They were shot as they tried to resolve a family dispute.
“Somebody has to step up — and see what we can do to help these people,” Ziemba said.
His charity will focus on first responders in three counties: Collier, Lee and Charlotte. Ziemba wants to expand the effort through chapters across Florida and the U.S.
“I’m trying to help,” he said. “Everyone talks the game, but no one is playing the game.”
Part of the nonprofit’s mission is to teach school age children about the importance of first responders and why they deserve respect. About 10 percent of the charity’s donations will go toward that effort, with 40 percent of the money steered toward the purchase of new equipment — and the rest going directly to workers and their families for immediate needs such as paying medical bills or funeral expenses.
When he was a little kid growing up in Chicago, Ziemba said, police officers walked the neighborhood and firefighters let children slide down the pole at their station. Kids admired these emergency workers and appreciated them, which is not often the case today, he said.
Ziemba has invested more than $10,000 to get his charity started.
“I’m not expecting a return,” he said. “I’m not taking any payroll.”
He once had three convenience stores in Illinois, and it made him appreciate first responders even more. “Any owner can have a problem in business, and they are there for us,” Ziemba said.
The charity has attracted a few sponsors — and there are hopes of getting many more. “I just need to get the word out,” Ziemba said.
Sponsors receive vehicle stickers to show their support for first responders. Annual sponsorships start at $50 for individuals and at $250 for businesses. Donations can also be made in smaller amounts for those who don’t want to become sponsors.
The first fundraiser, a Poker Run, is slated for Saturday. Registration begins at 9 a.m. at the Naples Harley-Davidson off Pine Ridge Road, near Interstate 75. The cost to participate is $15 for drivers and $5 for passengers.
There will be five stops on the poker run, starting at Gators Crossroads at the corner of U.S. 41 East and San Marco Road and ending back at the Harley-Davidson dealership. At each stop, competitors will get a poker card. Whoever has the best hand at the end of the run gets the grand prize, which will depend on the number of riders.
Besides the prize for the winning poker hand, there will be several raffle drawings. Prizes include $500 in cash and dinner for two at Coopers Hawk in North Naples. A 50-50 drawing is planned for 2 p.m., with half the money going to the winning ticket holder and the rest to the charity.
First Responders Lives Matter is registered as a nonprofit with the state’s Division of Corporations. It’s still awaiting federal approval of its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. “Our validation will be soon,” Ziemba said.
He hopes to have more than 100 bikers and others sign up for the Poker Run. Ziemba’s goal is to raise $20,000 from the event.
Lauren Smith, a stay-at-home mom in East Naples who has known the Ziemba family for more than four years, said the charity resonated with her immediately and that’s why she joined its board of directors.
Her husband is a high school teacher and football coach at Naples High, so they’re around law enforcement officers often, and they’ve developed close relationships with them.
“When a police officer acts upon a dangerous situation, there is such negativity. ... It seems like they aren’t supported as much as they are judged or questioned,” Smith said. “We wanted to support them.”
Initial corporate sponsors include Forge Engineering and Exploritech in Naples.
Alycia Seevers, an administrator at Forge, which donated $3,000, said giving money to the cause was a “no-brainer” for her company.
“This really hit home,” she said. “We employ former police officers within our organization. Not only is this just supporting the families of the first responders injured on the job, but supporting people that are close to us.”
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