The four-day ride ? May 9 to 12 ? is a fundraiser to benefit the memorial and serves as a way to raise awareness of officers across the nation who have died in the line of duty, Abrahamian said.
The four Glendale officers killed while on duty were Town Marshal Whitney Smith (1915), Officer Leslie O. Clem (1926), Officer John Isaacson (1972) and Officer Charles Lazzaretto (1997).
The tour, which started in 1997 with 18 riders and raised $18,000, has grown significantly over the years, Abrahamian said, adding that this will be her fourth year riding.
About 700 officers from across the nation participated in the ride last year, and raised about $750,000, she said.
This year, Abrahamian expects an even larger turnout.
"It's a mental challenge more than it is a physical challenge, because it's not a race, so you go at a pretty even pace," said Glendale Officer Sue Shine, who participated in the ride for the first time last year. "There are days when you are really hammered. But even when you're pushing over those hills and bridges, there is always someone yelling encouragement ? that camaraderie is so unique."
Glendale's 12 officers are trying to raise $1,500 each for the tour this year.
They are hosting a fundraiser on April 6 at Chevy's Mexican restaurant, where 15% of the check from restaurant patrons with a Police Unity Tour flier will go toward Glendale officers' goal.
"We each participate for our own personal reasons, but we also represent our department," Abrahamian said. "It's a great cause."
The 12 Glendale officers riding have already begun training for the event, Shine said. Along with regular workouts, the officers have also been getting together for group rides, she said.
On Sunday, about four of the officers biked 74 miles round trip along a trail from Irwindale, Calif., to Seal Beach, Calif., Shine said.
"The saying is that it's a thin blue line, that's what law enforcement is," Glendale Police Investigator Matt Gunnell said. "So visually, this will be kind of neat to see all the officers riding together in a line."
This will be Gunnell's first year participating in the tour, but he is not fazed by the mileage. Gunnell, vice president of the Pasadena Athletic Assn./Merrill Lynch/Bicycle John's racing team, is an avid cyclist.
"It's definitely a long ride, but I'm not afraid of it," he said. "Being a police officer, certainly the fact that there's many officers killed in California every year ? and nationally ? it's very sobering."
