WGN's Hochberg, 19th Ward Ald. O'Shea Partner For Vest-A-Thon Project

CHICAGO — WGN Radio host David Hochberg has long taken issue with the fact that many Chicago police officers are tasked with paying for protective vests meant to keep them from harm in the line of duty out of their own pockets.

So, as he has in the past, Hochberg will partner with 19th Ward Ald. Matt O’Shea to raise money that provides funding for the vests, which can run between $500 and $600 and that is often paid by the officers themselves.

Hochberg will again host the annual Vest-A-Thon, which last year raised $200,000 for the purchase of bullet-proof vests. The Vest-A-Thon radio fundraiser will take place during Hochberg’s “Home Sweet Home Chicago” radio show, which airs between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on WGN Radio.

Hochberg is the vice president of lending for Team Hochberg at Homeside Financial in Chicago.

The fundraiser is held in conjunction with O’Shea’s annual Get Behind The Vest pancake breakfast, which will be held on Sunday. The breakfast will run from 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday at St. John Fisher’s Kane Hall.

Admission is $5 per person or $25 for a family.

“Chicago Police officers are on the front lines every day to ensure our safety, and it is important that we do what we can to send them home safely to their families at the end of each shift,” O’Shea said in a news release, adding that in 2014, Chicago Police officers were shot at a total of eight times, and none were struck by gunfire.

In 2021, 69 officers were shot at, 10 were struck by gunfire, and one was fatally shot, 'O'Shea said. In 2022, Chicago Police officers were shot at 48 times, and eight were struck by gunfire.

"It is imperative the Chicago Police officers have access to up-to-date bulletproof vests with the latest technology advancements," O'Shea said. "And the funds raised through the Get Behind The Vest Pancake Breakfast and Vest-A-Thon will help to provide that.”

In the past nine years, O’Shea’s Get Behind the Vest Pancake Breakfast has raised more than $500,000. To date, the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation has replaced more than 11,000 vests, with an annual goal to replace 500 vests for officers each year, O’Shea’s office announced.

This is the second year that Hochberg has held the Vest-A-Thon program features stories of officers whose lives have been impacted by bulletproof vests, including officers from the Chicago Police Department, who will share their perspective on the difficult work they do each day.

Donors to the Vest-A-Thon will have the opportunity to win prizes including skybox experiences at many of Chicago’s professional sports teams, sports paraphernalia, and much more. This year’s Vest-A-Thon goal is to raise $250,000 which would purchase hundreds of bulletproof vests for Chicago Police Officers.

Donations are currently being accepted at www.cpdvest.com, or by calling (872) 262-8378 (VEST).