CLEVELAND — Leo Tully is a man on a mission, a mission to boost police morale.

“I was inspired by everything that happened in 2020. “The riots, the protests, and you know, what really upset me was they burned our police cars right here in Cleveland,” Tully said.

That’s when Tully decided to join an Adopt a Cop Facebook group, which asked for cards to be sent to police officers.
“I went to Walmart and was looking for cards, and I couldn’t find anything to thank the police or any other heroes, so I decided to make my own,” Tully explained.

That’s when Tully said Card for Cops was born. He now designs, prints and cuts around 2,000 cards per month for those who protect and serve.

For Tully, it’s a labor of love. “It makes my day, it’s the wind beneath my wings, it’s my purpose, my purpose in life, it’s what I do,” Tully explained.

Tully personally mails or delivers cards to about 50 departments each month in Northeast Ohio and across the country.

University circle police officers are among those who receive the monthly card.

“It sends the message that someone cares, I care and it means the long haul,” said Chief Tom Wetzel of the University Circle Police Department.

Wetzel said this act of kindness goes a long way with officers. He said three times as many officers die by suicide as by line-of-duty deaths.

“For us, these are small acts of love, and they really go a long way,” Wetzel said.

Tully gets more by giving than receiving, but he cherishes the thank you cards, photos and police patches he has received from grateful officers across the country.

Tully pays for each card himself. But now that the 66-year-old has retired, he said he may have to cut back on the number of cards he sends because it’s expensive.

However, the cards he sends will always be filled with love and support not only for police officers, dispatchers and police personnel, but also for firefighters and veterans.

“They are my heroes,” Tully said.