April was a month that can only be explained with the saying, “pure joy and pure misery”.
Back The Blue NC, Inc. held their first event event of the year on April 24th in Gastonia, NC. The event was held in honor and memoriam to fallen Officer Tyler Herndon. Aside from the vendors and food trucks, the list of speakers included the Chief of Gastonia Police Don Roper and Mark Herndon, Officer Tyler Herndon’s father.
In attendance were law enforcement from Gastonia, Mount Holly, and the Gaston County Sheriffs Office, Tyler Herndon’s parents and grandparents, as well as members of the community.
The event was open to the public but unfortunately the weather wasn’t as cooperative and even though it was indoors we dealt with low attendance due to heavy rain.
It was an extremely sad day as speaker after speaker spoke of Officer Herndon and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house after his Father Mark spoke.
The pure joy of our first event of the year became pure misery when on April 28th the Watuaga County Sheriff’s Department lost two Deputies.
Sgt. Chris Ward, 36, and K-9 Deputy Logan Fox, 25, were both killed in the line of duty at the start of what became a 13 hour standoff with a gunman who had barricaded himself inside the home of George Wyatt Ligon and Michelle Annette Ligon after he had murdered them both.
Back The Blue NC has already raised in excess of $200,000 dollars for the wife and children of Sgt. Chris Ward and the family and fiancée of K-9 Deputy Logan Fox. In working to help both families Back the Blue NC has been working with the Tunnel To Towers Foundation to secure more funds for Deputy Fox’s fiancée as well possibly paying off the mortgage of Sgt. Ward.
Our mission statement, "Giving back to those who are willing to give their all" is more than just a saying or words. Back The Blue NC will continue to raise funds for future law enforcement needs throughout the State in the future. Donations can be made online on the Back The Blue NC website homepage: https://www.backthebluenc.org/
