Nov 2023. Blues Vol 39 No. 11

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK
Alan Helfman, on
the cover AGAIN!
Trying to figure out why
someone wearing an Astros
Jersey, in a wide windup pose,
is on the cover of this month’s
BLUES?
That someone is none other
than Alan Helfman, president
of River Oaks Chrysler, Dodge,
Jeep, and Ram in Houston. If
you’ve been in law enforcement
in Houston for any length of
time you know or
have heard of Alan.
He’s donated and
raised literally millions
of dollars to
help the families of
fallen officers and
those injured in the
line of duty. He’s
earned the title Mr.
Philanthropy by
numerous groups
in Houston for his generosity
and support over the years,
Back to the question. Why is
he on the cover? Again? This is
the second of our three-part
anniversary issues and as we
celebrate those that made our
40 years possible. In this issue,
we honor Alan Helfman and
River Oaks for supporting The
BLUES with their advertising
dollars for every one of those
6 The BLUES
40 years. In fact, River Oaks is
The BLUES longest running supporter.
Over the years, Alan has not
only placed ads in the magazine,
he has also supported us
in nearly every project we’ve
brought his way. His unwavering
support for law enforcement
over the years is quite remarkable.
And trust me, if you’ve
ever visited the dealership, Alan
has given you the tour of the
upstairs hallway, with dozens
of photos and awards lining the
walls to his office.
On that wall you’ll find a few
bits of history from The BLUES.
The first is a framed copy of
our first issue from December
of 1984. (There are only
3 in existence today, the one
on his wall, one in my office
SGT. MICHAEL BARRON RET
and one in a safe.) Then there
is a framed copy of the first
ad River Oaks ever placed in
The BLUES and finally the issue
when we awarded him a Lifetime
Achievement
Award.
Then of course,
there’s the Board
Room that’s more
of a collection
point for all the
memorabilia Alan
gives away to
customers, as well
as donations to
organizations of
all kinds who use the priceless
pieces to raise money for their
events and fundraisers.
And one of those groups he
has given so generously to over
the years is the Astros Foundation
and therefore afforded
him the opportunity to throw
out the ceremonial first pitch at
several games including the one
on the cover when the Astros
played the Chicago Cubs.