MELVINDALE, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Memorial Day soccer tournament brought together police officers and community members from all across Michigan to honor fallen Melvindale Police Corporal Mohamed Said, who died in the line of duty last July.
Watch Ruta Ulcinaite's video report:
Corporal Said was a soccer star in his own right at Melvindale High School, and his family and the Melvindale Police Department wanted to honor his legacy through one of the activities he loved most.
Teams from all across the state gathered on the grounds of the newly-renamed Mohamed Said Elementary School in Melvindale on Monday, including teams that drove over two hours to show their support.
“We have two Coldwater teams here, and mostly everybody on the team knows who he is and knows him, so we decided to show up and show the love," Coldwater Police Officer Nooh Aljabli said. “We gotta show our love from Coldwater, for Mo.”
Corporal Said's brother, Ahmed Said, helped organize the all-day event.
“Of course we can’t get him back, but we’re keeping his name and legacy alive for life," Ahmed Said said.
Community members wanted to make sure that Memorial Day was a time where those who lost their lives in active service were remembered, by also taking the time to remember Cpl. Said.
“I think we’re still slowly starting to recover... doing events like this helps us heal," Melvindale High School assistant principal Abdul Yahia said. “This is bigger than soccer.”
For Ahmed Said, it’s also a reminder that serving your city or your country is the honor of a lifetime, something he learned from his brother. So on the one-year mark of his brother's death, Ahmed will begin his own journey.
"That day I'm starting my academy, police academy," he said. “I have to finish the work, and I have to keep the name alive in the department and in law enforcement.”
Said's family says with the success of this first tournament, they are hoping to continue this tradition every Memorial Day to not only honor the fallen officer, but all the other men and women who put their lives on the line every single day.
