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In November of 1950, Officer Andreas Mellert was engaged in the routine pickup of a young man who had failed to appear on a traffic violation charge. The young man had not resisted, but his father was enraged, and as Officer Mellert and his charge left through the front door, the father opened a window and shot the patrolman in the back, killing him. Officer Mellert left behind a young wife Esther, and a daughter he would never meet, Kathleen, born on December 31. Detroit businessman, Bill Packer sat down and wrote to 100 of his friends and members of the community, asking them to contribute $200 each to a fund being established for the benefit of Officer Mellerta's family. Our own Atlantic and Cape May Counties Chapter was established in 1986. We are a non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial support for the families of police, fire and rescue personnel who have risked and lost their lives in the protection of our communities. After a tragedy of this magnitude, the spouse and family is left with immediate concerns about their financial obligations. Often, benefits do not become activated for months and it is the immediate assistance that we provide that helps alleviate these financial pressures. It is the goal of The 200 Club, to be able to present a check to the family within 24 hours of a tragedy. In addition, we also provide scholarships, valor awards for heroism and funding for a variety of important community projects related to police, fire and rescue such as Vest A Cop and DARE. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about The 200 Club, please e-mail us at 200ClubInfo. We welcome your input and would love to hear from you. In the meantime, please tell your friends and colleagues about us. There are many out there who have no idea what The 200 Club is, or what we do so please help spread the word. List of Past Presidents |