Clear skies greet Umbrella Walk honoring fallen Lebanon officer Lt. William Lebo

Tuesday afternoon, the fourth annual Umbrella Walk took participants from Southwest/Optimist Park to City Hall in honor of late Lt. William Lebo under clear, warm skies.

Lt. Lebo was fatally shot on a call March 31, 2022, just a month shy of retirement. The walk began in 2023, started in Lebo’s honor by his colleague and now-Lebanon City chief of police Eric Sims.

Since then, the department has carried on the tradition alongside Lebo’s wife, Lora Lebo, who runs the William D. Lebo Memorial Foundation.

Lebo was known for walking or biking to work every day, always carrying his green and white umbrella in case of rain. The rain-or-shine walk mimics his daily walk to work, and participants may buy umbrellas in his honor.

However, this year, they did not need to be used, with Tuesday seeing the warmest weather of the year so far.

Students participating in Lebanon High School’s Junior ROTC program led the way, followed by officers and other participants.

They traveled through Lebanon city, passing through portions of the rail trail, before reaching their destination.

At City Hall, Lora spoke to walkers thanking them for their participation. Lora told LebTown she was happy to see continued attendance of this event year-to-year, including both people who had known her husband personally and those who had been touched by his legacy.

“These are all people whose lives he touched in one way or another, all of it positive, and that’s why they show up,” said Lora. To officers in attendance, she said, “Through everything you do, you are honoring his memory.”

She announced that Lebanon City business Gus Deraco’s Italian Sandwiches had donated sandwiches for the event. She also announced the Snitz Creek Brewery “You’re Going Places” beer, a limited edition IPA brewed in honor of her late husband.

The beer will be available on tap and canned at Snitz Creek locations this weekend, with a dollar from each sale going toward the Lebo Foundation. Lebo, Sims said, loved IPAs.

The foundation puts money toward scholarships for local youth and community support, with Lora noting that it donated $5,000 to funerals of victims of last year’s fire.

Since his death, Lt. Lebo has been honored with the Keystone First Responder Award, Lebanon Lodge #42’s City Officer of the Year award, and the renaming of the Lebanon post office.

Lebo’s honors are on display at a memorial at City Hall, where a fresh wreath was placed Tuesday.

Other photos from the Umbrella Walk