Anthem rallies to support fallen sheriff deputy

MARC BUCKHOUT ~ MANAGING EDITOR~ 2/1/2012

Support for first responders and the family of Bill Coleman, the New River resident and Maricopa County Sheriff’s officer that was shot and killed in the line of duty in Anthem earlier this month, continued to poor in during the latest Anthem Community Council meeting.
Barbara Birdseye, representing Anthem cares Through Service, announced plans for what they hope to be an annual event supporting the families of police officers and firefighters in the Anthem area.
The inaugural event will include a golf tournament at Anthem Country Club open to the entire Anthem community. Plans for a tennis tournament are also in the works as well as a dinner.
Birdseye said there are talks of expanding the series of activities to a week-long event in the coming years.
The meeting also included a proposal by local Anthem VFW, Post 12031, to build a memorial for Coleman near the location of the makeshift memorial that currently stands along Anthem Way.
The VFW, in preliminary talks with Anthem staff, indicated that they would be willing to make a “substantial donation” to the project.
The VFW offered some conceptual drawings of the project.
“Deputy Bill Coleman made the ultimate sacrifice and we want to honor him,” Dennis Hider, the Commander of the VFW, said.