During last year’s event, the Detroit Police Department Honor Guard presented a wreath in honor of the fallen.
By: Andy Kozlowski | C&G Newspapers | Published November 19, 2025
METRO DETROIT — While many spend the holidays with family and friends, the police and firefighters who keep them safe continue to work in the dark and cold, never certain they will come home at the end of their shift.
The stakes are made clear at the annual Project Blue Light ceremony, which remembers first responders who died in the line of duty. The gathering pays tribute to fallen officers statewide and is attended by police and fire officials from all over.
This year’s event will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, at St. Mary Magdalen Church, located at 50 E. Annabelle Ave. in Hazel Park, at the northeast corner of John R Road and Woodward Heights Boulevard. All are welcome.
“It definitely honors the fallen, but more than that. It speaks to those still doing the job, who are out there on these cold winter nights,” said Corey Haines, the police chief of Eastpointe and new mayor of Madison Heights.
The event’s name is derived from the practice of placing a blue or red light in a front window or porch light as a show of support for police officers and firefighters, respectively.
“It’s just heartwarming to see the lights in people’s homes, and very comforting to know we have their support,” Haines said.
The evening features a wreath presentation and a “Roll Call of Heroes,” with flowers placed by department members and family members of the fallen. Special lighted wreaths are given to the families of officers who died this year. There will also be drums and pipes, prayers and poems, speeches and other tributes.
In 2025, the Roll Call of Heroes includes three men who made the ultimate sacrifice:
• Capt. Brent Kostanko, Ann Arbor Fire Department. Last alarm: Jan. 29, 2025.
• Officer Kelvin O. Patrick, Detroit Police Department. End of watch: Feb. 6, 2025.
• Capt. Jeremy Watkins, Dearborn Fire Department. Last alarm: March 2, 2025.
Debbie Swofford is the organizer of the event, which is now in its 22nd year.
“It is also our chance to support the families and live up to the pledge made with the loss of each hero — that we ‘never forget,’” she said in an email.
Police and fire officials say the event also provides a boost to their morale. The rigors of the job can take a toll on their mental health, as they often see people on their worst days in life — from victims of violence and abuse to people who lost their homes in a fire. The occasional brush with death can also lead to post-traumatic stress disorder and thoughts of suicide.
Haines spoke to the pressure facing officers.
“When you’re out on patrol, there’s no such thing as a routine traffic stop,” Haines said. “Maybe it’s for speeding or running a red light, but we don’t know who the driver is or where they’re coming from. Did they just rob a bank or a party store? Only the driver knows what they did prior to that stop. And while most of the time everything goes well, it’s the times when it doesn’t that gives us pause. Our officers are going into the unknown.”
The event’s history in Hazel Park started in 2003 when Bob Williams — then the priest of St. Justin Church, the original venue, and the chaplain for the Hazel Park Police Department — led a service with Project Blue Light following the death of Jessica Nagle-Wilson.
Nagle-Wilson, a Hazel Park police officer, was killed in July 2002 while responding to a complaint that a neighbor wouldn’t leash his dog. Nagle-Wilson didn’t know a simple request would prompt the man to shoot her with a 12-gauge shotgun.
She died from a wound to the neck and the suspect survived. He was later sentenced to life in prison. Nagle-Wilson was only 26 at the time of her death; she had been a patrol officer in Hazel Park for less than two years. She was also a newlywed who had married another officer.
The incident has haunted the Hazel Park Police Department ever since.
“Fr. Bob has passed on, but the service continues in Hazel Park,” said William Hamel, the police chief of Hazel Park, in an email. “Project Blue Light is a time for everyone to take a moment to remember the first responders who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and to support their survivors.”