GREENSBORO, N.C. — "Remarkable." It’s the word Greensboro Police Officer Tiffany Rahenkamp used to describe her friend and fellow officer Micheal T. Horan. She’s now helping his legacy live on and raising money for his family through a fundraiser with Carolina Sports Accessories.
What You Need To Know
- A clothing fundraiser is currently underway to honor Greensboro Police Officer Michael T. Horan
- The fundraiser has hats, shirts and T-shirts that represent Horan
- Proceeds will go to his family through the Help A Hero foundation, which has raised over $150,000
- The fundraiser is currently open through January 12
On December 30, 2023, Sgt. Dale Nix was shot and killed while off duty when he attempted to stop a robbery at a Sheetz gas station. This was the first time a Greensboro Police Department officer was killed by gunfire since 1974.
An officer’s End of Watch Call is something no fellow officer wants to experience, but after Nix was killed, Rahenkamp wanted to help in any way she could.
“I wanted to make these shirts or initiate the fundraiser, so to speak, to bring awareness for the family and show our support as a department, to wrap our arms around the family in one way. Whereas our community is doing it and so many others,” Rahenkamp said.
Last year Rahenkamp partnered with Carolina Sports Accessories to make a shirt to honor Nix, with the proceeds going to his family.
“I see the Sgt. Nix shirts a lot. I like the sense of this whole fundraiser because these shirts don't have an expiration date. People are going to be wearing them years down the road. And with that, simply, we're not going to be able to forget his legacy that he left behind,” Rahenkamp said.
The community showed so much support for the shirts, she had to re-open the store three times.
Almost a year to the date, she’s designing a new shirt, something she never wanted to do again. This time for Horan, who was killed when responding to a call of a man with a gun at a Food Lion just days before Christmas.
“It’s a completely different atmosphere. Having two within a year's time, it definitely makes us take a step back and realize what's important in our life. I didn't expect to ever do this fundraiser again. I didn't want to do the first one, if we're being honest. I knew that it showed support for the family,” Rahenkamp said.
Rahenkamp worked closely with Horan, describing him as a family man and a true hero who often spoke about his Irish heritage, a nod to some of the designs she helped create for the collection.
“The clover was meant to signify his Irish heritage. He spoke about it all the time. So somehow I wanted to kind of incorporate that into the design to make it special and customized to him,” Rahenkamp said.
The clover’s leaves are filled with the Coast Guard emblem, his Greensboro Police Department badge and an American flag with a blue stripe.
“I wanted to have an idea that would kind of be a reminder for us, days, months and years down the road as to what a legacy these officers are leaving behind. And we're always going to remember them,” Rahenkamp said.
Other items in the fundraiser include his badge number, 541, and the term “Semper Paratus,” which means "always ready" in Latin, the motto of the United States Coast Guard, as well as the mark of his End Of Watch Call.
“I really hate that he's gone. I really hate that he was taken the way that he was taken,” Rahenkamp said. “This has got to stop. The senseless acts, unfortunately, have to stop. We will continue to support these families, who have lost loved ones near and far. I'm just hoping that all of these fundraisers, not just this one, brings awareness for what's happening out in the world.”
The fundraiser has merchandise for purchase through January 12. Proceeds will be directed to his family through the Help A Hero foundation, which has raised over $150,000 for his family.
Horan will be laid to rest on January 9 at Westover Church in Greensboro. The service is open to the public and begins at 2 p.m.. If you would like to attend, it is suggested to arrive early.
The fundraiser for Officer Horan is not managed by Spectrum News 1. For more information on how the fundraiser works, visit the Help a Hero site.