By STEVEN MURREY
Managing Editor
smurrey@cherryroad.com

Three years after the murder of Elwood Officer Noah Jacob Shahnavaz, the Elwood Police Department came together to put a more positive spin on the somber anniversary.

Chief Jason Brizendine said that last Thursday, in a private gathering, officers with the department, as well as first responders from other agencies who responded to the call, joined Shahnavaz’s friends, family and coworkers at the Elwood Elks Lodge for food, fellowship, and a good cause.

“A few groups got together, and we decided to make that day more of a positive, as much as we could, to honor Noah” said Brizendine.

Brizendine said the approximately 70 attendees at the dinner worked together to pack 320 book bags full of school supplies for Elwood Elementary Students grades kindergarten through second.

“We supplied them with headphones, scissors, crayons, and pencils,” said Brizendine.

He said the gathering was a way to thank everyone in various departments who helped three years ago on the night of Shahnavaz’s death, as well as during the difficult days that followed.

The effort to purchase the school supplies, Brizendine said, was made possible through anonymous donors and contributions from Evakay Maluvac of Salon 715, the Elwood Police K9 Fund, the Madison County Coalition Against Substance Abuse, and the Remember Noah Jacob Shahnavaz Foundation. Additionally, funds were provided to restock the Panther Pantry outside of the high school. He also thanked the Elwood Elks for providing a space for the gathering.

“Everyone got into packing the bags,” said Brizendine. “People had their kids there, and they were helping. We made an assembly line, and the kids even enjoyed it.”

He said the backpacks were then delivered to the school during its parent-teacher night.

Brizendine said Packs with Purpose will become an annual event to honor Officer Noah Shahnavaz, providing school supplies for Elwood’s youngest pupils.

“It means so much,” said Brizendine of being able to have everyone come together in a way that honors Noah. “Not a day goes by that we don’t think about Noah, and everything that happened on that day.”

Brizendine said July 31 has since been a day that he and the department can show their appreciation for all the help they received from surrounding police departments, the ER, the dispatch center, and everyone else that was involved in the weeks after.

“It’s a way to show our appreciation while turning it into a positive, carrying on Noah’s legacy in a way that will help the community that he worked in and sacrificed his life in,” Brizendine said.