A large crowd was on hand Saturday at Trooper Island Camp for Trooper Island Appreciation Day to mark the end of another successful camping season as well as to honor the Kentucky State Police officers who have died in the line of duty. The annual event included a picnic lunch that was followed by a ceremony near the fallen officer memorial located on the northwest corner of Trooper Island. In the photos here, the Trooper Island barge is shown above with one of the large loads of people being transported across Dale Hollow Lake to Trooper Island. Below, a member of the KSP Honor Guard salutes the plaques of fallen officers after placing a wreath with a “Thin Gray Line” ribbon in front of the memorial. In the photos below, the family of Trooper Joseph “Cameron” Ponder, the last KSP officer killed in the line of duty (September, 2015) take in the ceremony that included reading the names of each fallen officer. Bottom left, the KSP Honor Guard leaving the picnic area after the singing of the National Anthem, and bottom right, Trooper Island Camp Director Jonathan Biven welcomes the crowd prior to the event picnic, as Kentucky State Police Commissioner Richard Sanders looks on.

Trooper Island Camp provides a free week-long camping experience to over 700 girls and boys from across Kentucky each year, and operates solely on donations and fund raising events.

An additional ground breaking ceremony was held to announce construction of a new combination dental/medical infirmary and mess hall (See photo, page 15)