It was an emotional afternoon on March 27 at the Deputy Sheldon Whiteman Academy in Hinesville as his family was presented with four teddy bears made from the late deputy’s uniform.

Ray Schwabe, executive director of Blue Line Bears, presented the bears made from the uniform of their fallen father and husband, each one bearing each of his children’s names and that of his wife.

Each bear was hand-sewn and displays his badge number and his end-ofwatch date. Schwabe said the organization specializes in making handmade teddy bears from the uniforms of police officers lost in the line of duty. He also presented the family with the certificates that come with each bear and said the family received bears numbered 1046, 1047, 1048 and 1049. Schwabe said there are bears in 44 different states and four different countries.

Schwabe said he met the Whiteman family when he participated in the End-of-Watch Ride to Remember Convoy that went to Long County in July 2021.

“You guys are all part of our family now,” Schwabe said. “We were very touched by your family’s story. In addition to the bears, the six motorcycles we had when we came through last summer, we decided to tribute one of our motorcycles, for this summer, to your dad. So, he will travel the entire country with us. He will visit 245 departments with us this summer. And we are honored because he was a special man.”

“Thank you for loving us and accepting us into your family,” said Whiteman’s wife, Alisa- Ann Whiteman. “We always feel close to him. We always feel he is with us, but this is really touching, and we thank you all for everything.”

Deputy Sheriff Sheldon Gordon Whiteman was killed in January 2020 during a chase in Long County when he lost control of his cruiser, striking several trees. He was with the Long County Sheriff ’s Office for four months and was previously with the Chatham County Sheriff ’s Office for four years.

Schwabe said it is rewarding to be able to give families back a piece of their personal hero.

“I’ve done this several times, but it still doesn’t make it any easier for me,” Schwabe said.

“It completes my peace,” Alisa-Ann Whiteman said. “Sundays are always my roughest, but this completed my day. I came here at peace, and my heart is just so filled with warmth and love right now, just holding this bear.”

Blue Line Bears is a nonprofit organization with the goal of helping children of fallen law enforcement officers cope with the devastating loss of a parent. Blue Line Bears is the creation of a 14-year-old daughter of a police officer and was started five years ago.