TAZEWELL, Va. (WVVA) – On August 9, Deputy Hunter Reedy was shot in the line of duty in Smyth County, Virginia, leaving behind a wife and three children. In the weeks since, friends, family and the community have mourned his sacrifice. On Saturday, a motorcycle ride was held in Tazewell to remember the deputy and raise funds for his family.
Kayla Delp, Deputy Reedy’s cousin, said she was inspired by Deputy Reedy’s love for the community and willingness to sacrifice for others, and wanted to return the kindness by using one of his hobbies to help her family.
“He loved racing. He was crazy about dirt tracks and stuff like that and he always had everybody in the room laughing and smiling. I mean, he was the kind of guy who would give the shirt off his back if he could. And his kids, his wife, his sisters, his mom, his dad, I would do anything to help them,” Delp said.
Delp, a Princeton resident, organized a motorcycle ride between where she and Deputy Reedy live and said she was surprised at the outpouring of support more than 30 miles from where her cousin serves the community.
Many local businesses made donations, and Cole Harley Davidson and Back of the Dragon donated prizes to a raffle to raise money for Deputy Reedy’s family. Back of the Dragon also donated 20% of the proceeds from the sale of their “Dragon Baked” pizza.
“It’s really heartbreaking when something like this happens in your community. Deputy Reedy leaves behind a wife and three young children, and we’re honored to be of any help,” said Beth Takacs, director of Back of the Dragon.
Delp said the ride turned out to be much more successful than he expected, with some people driving for hours to be there. He said he’s “extremely grateful” to everyone who joined the ride and donated money to help Deputy Reedy’s family and honor his service and protection.
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