When Danielle Petros and a group of Pennsylvania State Police wives started “PSP Strong” in 2014, the goal was to sell T-shirts in support of the troopers involved with the Blooming Grove barracks ambush.

But as the T-shirts sold, they realized they were creating a bond between the community and law enforcement. Even Lt. Col. George Bivens, the man who oversaw the manhunt for ambush suspect Eric Frein, as Petros recalled.“He said himself that he had never seen the type of community support for law enforcement like he did after the ambush. Everybody was rooting for the good guys, and that’s what we need to see today,” Petros said.That unity is the goal of the Officers Down 5K. The national organization came to Lehighton for the third straight year on Saturday. Well over 100 runners took to the streets, many of them wearing shirts showing their support for police.James Doak, 31, of Emmaus won for the men in 17:44, his second straight victory in the race. Georgia Wiswesser, 13, of Northampton won the women’s overall.Ten percent of the proceeds from the event went to the Lehighton Police Department — about $1,000, and another 10 went to PSP Strong.Officers Down 5K founder TJ Burke said that he started the event in 2011, and said since that time the pressures faced by police officers on the beat has only increased.“This is a day where we can come and celebrate and support those in blue. As you know, the war against law enforcement is only getting worse. To date, in 2017 we have 34 officers killed in the line of duty,” he said.Burke said he grew up in a law enforcement family and worked as an officer himself. Many of the runners had some connection to the profession.Molly Ebbert ran for her husband and stepson, who both are officers. She echoed the fact that the job has become harder with the pressures faced by police today.“They’re getting a really bad rap now. I wouldn’t want to go out there every day and deal with what they deal with,” she said.Her daughter Claudia wore a T-shirt supporting Robert Lasso, an officer in Northampton County who was killed in the line of duty in 2011. His killer received the death penalty.“He was a good guy, always willing to help,” Claudia Ebbert said of Lasso.District judge William Kissner, a former Bethlehem Police officer, thanked the public for supporting law enforcement. He said that officers wouldn’t put themselves at risk each day if they didn’t believe all lives matter.“They put the lives and the safety of everyone before themselves. it is truly a daunting task,” he said.