CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A Chesapeake lake was officially renamed in honor of a fallen police officer Saturday, as the community gathered for the annual Schock and Shivers 5K and Cold Water Challenge.
Oak Grove Lake is now called Officer Timothy Schock Memorial Lake. The renaming came after Chesapeake City Council voted unanimously in January to honor Officer Timothy Schock, who drowned during a training exercise at the lake in 2011. The event also honors fallen Chesapeake Police Officer Jarrod Shivers, who was shot and killed in the line of duty in 2008.
The Schock & Shivers 5K and Cold Water Challenge is a Team Chesapeake Law Enforcement United fundraiser. The event benefits the Road to Hope, a 250-mile bike ride that honors fallen officers and remembers survivors. Law Enforcement United is a nonprofit organization that also raises money for COPS Kids Camp, the Officer Down Memorial Page, and Spirit of Blue. Chesapeake Sheriff Wallace Chadwick III serves as the CEO and one of the founders of Law Enforcement United. Sheriff Chadwick previously served as a police officer for the city, said the renaming of the lake carries deep personal meaning for him, as he was there the say Officer Schock died.
"I was working with Tim. Myself and the dive team that you just saw behind you, we actually rescued Tim, brought him up, and performed, you know, emergency treatment on Tim," Chadwick said.
For sisters-in-law Heather Garrant-Stephan and Kaitlyn Outland, participating in the event hit especially close to home. Garrant-Stephan grew up with a father who served as a police officer in Newport News. Outland served as a Chesapeake police officer for two years, and she now works as a video evidence technician for the department, reviewing officer body-worn camera footage for court cases.
Outland completed her first 5K and cold plunge on Saturday in honor of her fallen brothers in service, with Garrant-Stephan cheering her on throughout.
"It's really heartwrenching whenever you hear the loss of one of your local heros. So having that as my father growing up as a police officer, and then finding out about this fundraiser, it really kinda hit home," Garrant-Stephan said.
The two said the event reflects something bigger than a single race or fundraiser.
"It's really uniting, makes me feel like our community really comes together," Garrant-Stephan said.
Garrant-Stephan said she could not have been more proud of her sister-in-law after she crossed the finish line.
"I'm always proud of her, but I'm extremely proud of her today," Garrant-Stephan said.
Chesapeake Police and Fire divers were on hand throughout the event to ensure the safety of participants taking the Cold Water Challenge in the lake.
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