BYRON, Ga. — A small act of kindness can do so much.
In fact, one small act of kindness has grown into an annual event, where the community can encourage and support Middle Georgia law law enforcement officers. That event was “Cup of Blue,” an event held last Saturday night in Byron.
Officers and their families could eat free food, enjoy live music from His Way Ministries, participate in giveaways and play games. There was also a rifle raffle, where one lucky officer could win a gun from the event organizer’s collection.
The gifts didn’t stop at the raffle, though. Each department in attendance received a goodie bag, and each officer in the crowd received a blue cup filled with treats and gifts.
Fallen South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP) State Trooper Keith Rebman inspired the event, and his parents, Dan Rebman and his wife, Tess, organized it.
While speaking, Dan highlighted his son’s upbeat personality with the crowd.
“He could strike up a conversation with a statue, believe it or not,” Dan said.
Keith became a state trooper in 2016, and in his short time at SCHP, he most notably assisted in evacuation efforts as Hurricane Matthew swept through Charleston, South Carolina.
A random act of kindness amid the storm influenced the name “Cup of Blue.”
“A lady stopped her car, gets out and brings [Keith] a cup of coffee,” Dan said. “It made such an impression. This seemingly insignificant minor act — that blessed him, and he went on and on about it.”
One year later, on Oct. 24, 2017, Keith sat in a parked patrol car. Tragically, a pickup truck hit the back of his car going about 65 miles per hour. Keith passed away later at the hospital.
“Our world came crashing down; it crumbled,” Dan said. “There were days where you didn’t want to live, but you didn’t want to die.”
After grieving, Tess began giving law enforcement officers gifts while they were on the job. Her outreach grew to send gifts to whole departments, then to inviting law enforcement officers to her house for dinner and clay pigeon shooting.
In February 2021, Tess had an idea for an event while at a 5K Walk honoring law enforcement.
Tess wanted to hold a large-scale gathering at North Peach Park, the same venue where the 5K was held. She wanted to feed officers a free meal as she had done at her house, but she also wanted to invite the community along to show their appreciation and support.
She wondered if people would go to such an event. Three months later — with help from the Church of the Orchard, Tess’s dream became a reality and the first “Cup of Blue” event took place.
Dan estimates around 350 people attended the first event. This year’s turnout was over 800, more than double the attendance of the first year.
Reflecting on the event with The Journal, Dan Rebman realized recently that losing his son inspired him to keep his legacy alive and share the love that his son had for his fellow troopers.
“He wanted to get out there and be like them and help them… Why we do what we do, is to do something for our son, even though he’s no longer with us,” Rebman said.
Multiple law enforcement agencies showed up for the event. Officers from the Perry Police Department, Warner Robins Police Department, Centerville Police Department and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office attended.
Multiple guest speakers took the stage after Dan introduced himself and told his story. Roger Hayes was next. He works for the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
He said that law enforcement is a partnership and that officers should take care of each other. He thanked officers for what they do and their families for supporting them, and he expressed a need for law enforcement to ensure safety in the community.
“We need you,” Hayes said. “We need law enforcement. We need you to turn on your blue lights.”
Next up was a former Warner Robins Police Officer turned counselor, Shawn Wilding. He specializes in counseling law enforcement and their families, saying that counselors and law enforcement have something in common.
“If you ask somebody in law enforcement why they’re in law enforcement and ask a counselor why they’re in counseling, they’re both going to say, ‘well, I want to help people,’” Wilding said.
Leroy Smith spoke next. He works for the Quincy Police Department in Florida. He also served for the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, overseeing the Highway Patrol, State Transport Police, the Bureau of Protective Services and the Immigration Enforcement Unit.
He was grateful that he met the Rebman family in the wake of their tragedy and laid out three main points in his speech.
“Number one: we must never forget our fallen heroes,” Smith said. “Number two: we must never forget the family members of our fallen heroes. Number three, which is equally important: we must always recognize and thank our current and former law enforcement officers for the sacrifices that they make year in and year out.”
Scott Crosby spoke after Smith. Crosby recently retired, working for 25 years with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office. He is also president of the Georgia chapter of the Blue Knights, an international law enforcement motorcycle club. Following the rule of threes, he advised the law enforcement officers during his time on stage.
“Number one is ‘B.A.P.’ that’s always ‘be a professional,’” Crosby said. “No matter what you’re doing, be a professional.
“Number two is ‘C.Y.A.’ it means ‘cover your assets.’ Write down what you need to write down; document what you need to document.
“And number three is ‘G.H.E.S.’ That’s ‘go home at the end of shift.’ I know we work double shifts and triple shifts, but we go home at the end of shift.”
Finally, Kevin Sparks spoke. A former officer, he now teaches at Peach County High School and leads the Criminal Justice Club. He aims to change the perspective that young people can hold about law enforcement.
“I wanted something for the students to understand besides what mainstream media’s going to say, or what they’re going to see on social media,” Sparks said.
After speeches and the rifle giveaway, the event ended with a bang: a firework show. After the fireworks, officers flashed their lights and their sirens in solidarity with fallen officers as well as officers who are still alive and serve their community.
If you missed this event and want to attend the next one, it will be scheduled for the first Saturday in May. Next year’s event will fall on May 6.
HHJ News
