At AJ’s Jewelry, the relationships we build with our customers have always meant more to us than any transaction. After more than 35 years on Myrtle Avenue, some of those relationships have grown into something closer to family. Today, we’re honored to announce that one of those decades-long friendships has blossomed into a new chapter: AJ’s Jewelry is officially a sponsor of the Police Officer Ramon Suarez Memorial Foundation.

A Customer, A Friend, A Hero’s Wife

Carmen Suarez has been shopping at AJ’s Jewelry for decades. Long before any of us could have imagined what September 11, 2001 would take from her — and from all of us — Carmen was already part of the AJ’s family. She has trusted us with milestones, celebrations, and everyday moments across all of her family. To us, she has always been more than a customer. She has been a friend.

What we did not fully appreciate until we got to know her story was the weight Carmen has been carrying, and the extraordinary way she has chosen to carry it.

The Legacy of Police Officer Ramon Suarez

Carmen’s late husband, NYPD Police Officer Ramon Suarez of Transit District 4, was stationed at the Delancey Street subway station on the morning of September 11, 2001. When he heard over the radio that the Twin Towers had been hit, Ray and his partners left their post, hailed a cab, and rushed downtown to help. He did what he loved most that day — helping people and saving lives. He did not come home.

In 2005, four years after Ray’s death, Carmen received a phone call asking permission to name a school in his honor. Today, P.S. 239 — the Police Officer Ramon Suarez School — stands in Ridgewood, Queens, just blocks from our own front door on Myrtle Avenue. Ray’s name lives on in the very neighborhood we have called home since 1988.

Out of that recognition, Carmen built something even bigger. She founded the Police Officer Ramon Suarez Memorial Foundation to preserve Ray’s legacy, support the children of the communities he served, and stand beside the law enforcement officers who continue his work. Each year, the Foundation awards educational scholarships to students at P.S. 239 — scholarships that can be used for college, trade school, or private high school — and supports collaborative community efforts alongside law enforcement.

Why Jordan Eddi Felt Called to Get Involved

Our founder, Jordan Eddi, has known Carmen for as long as AJ’s has been on Myrtle Avenue. Over the years, he watched her transform unimaginable loss into unwavering purpose. Watched her build a foundation from the ground up. Watched her show up, year after year, refusing to let her husband’s memory fade and refusing to stop giving back to the community Ray died protecting.

“Carmen’s devotion is something I’ve admired for a long time,” Jordan says. “She has every reason to step back, and instead she steps forward — again and again — for kids she’s never met, for officers still on the job, for the memory of a man who gave everything. That kind of ceaseless commitment deserves more than admiration. It deserves action.”

That admiration is what led Jordan to formalize this partnership. For Jordan, this isn’t a marketing decision or a business calculation. It’s personal. It’s a Ridgewood business standing with a Ridgewood family, supporting a Ridgewood school, in honor of a Ridgewood hero.

What This Partnership Means

As an official sponsor of the Police Officer Ramon Suarez Memorial Foundation, AJ’s Jewelry is committed to supporting the Foundation’s mission — funding scholarships at P.S. 239, helping the families of those who serve, and keeping Ray’s legacy alive for years to come. That support will take two forms.

Sponsorship of the Foundation’s signature events

AJ’s Jewelry is proud to come on board as an official sponsor of the Foundation’s yearly events, including the Masquerade Ball and Cigar Night — gatherings that bring together law enforcement, community members, and supporters in celebration of Ray’s legacy and in service of the Foundation’s mission.

A 14 Karat Gold Personalized Police Badge for the families of fallen officers

At the discretion of the Police Officer Ramon Suarez Memorial Foundation, AJ’s Jewelry will donate a custom-crafted 14 Karat Gold Personalized Police Badge to widow or widower — of any NYPD officer fatally wounded in the line of duty. Each badge will be personalized in honor of the officer it represents, handcrafted on our premises with the same care we’ve given every piece that has come out of our shop for the past 35+ years.

It is the highest honor we can offer as jewelers: to take the symbol that defined an officer’s life of service and transform it into something gold, lasting, and personal — a tangible piece of their memory that their loved ones can hold onto forever. No family should ever have to receive one. But for those who do, we want it to be a reminder that their officer’s sacrifice is not forgotten, and that an entire community stands behind them.

We invite our customers, our neighbors, and everyone who has walked through our doors over the past three and a half decades to learn more about the Foundation and consider joining us in this work. Learn about upcoming events, or make a tax-deductible donation. One hundred percent of donations benefit the Foundation’s mission.

Carmen, thank you for trusting us all these years — and thank you for showing all of us what devotion really looks like. We’re proud to stand beside you.

— Jordan Eddi and the entire AJ’s Jewelry family