Carolina Brotherhood stopped by the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, to pay tribute to the late North Carolina Highway Patrol Master Trooper, Kevin Conner. Carolina Brotherhood is a non-profit that holds an annual benefit bicycle ride to support the families of first responders lost in the line of duty in North and South Carolina. All of the riders are first responders from across the eastern part of the United States.
On October 17, 2018, Master Trooper Conner was shot and killed in the line of duty in Columbus County. The brotherhood wanted to honor his memory with this year’s ride and by giving back to Trooper Conner’s community. While in Whiteville, Carolina Brotherhood presented Tropper Conner’s family with a $2,500 contribution to the Trooper Kevin Conner Memorial Scholarship Fund.
During the memorial presentation in Whiteville, Trooper Conner’s mother, Kay Conner, and Tropper Conner’s widow, Miranda Conner Ellington, presented the 2020 memorial scholarship awards. The Columbus County scholarship recipient is Anna Kay Nance. The Bladen County recipient was East Bladen High School graduate Nick Norris. Both scholarships were of $5,000.00.
During the ceremony, North Carolina State Highway Patrol Colonel Freddy Johnson Jr. spoke on behalf of the Highway Patrol. Columbus County Sheriff Jody Greene and Bladen County Sheriff Jim McVicker also addressed the crowd.
Sheriff Greene said, “We would like to thank Carolina Brotherhood for what they are doing for the families of fallen heroes. We would also like to congratulate Anna Kay and Nick for their outstanding accomplishments.”
After the presentation in Columbus County, the Carolina Brotherhood riders made their way to Bladen County’s Law Enforcement Training Facility on Highway 701 in Elizabethtown with first responder vehicles leading and following the riders.
Dena Ali, one of the Carolina Brotherhood members and a Raleigh Firefighter said, “We are like family, and when we lose someone, we honor them and their families. It gives us a lot of purpose.”
The non-profit co-founder and director, Firefighter Jim Squittieri, explained the non-profit was established in 2012 after one of his fellow firefighters, Captian Bowen from Ashville, died in an arson fire.
Squittieri said, “That first year we met so many families, we were really taken back.”
The youngest full-time support person on this year’s ride is 15-year-old Cole Woodson. He said, “It feels awesome actually to give back to a great association. It’s heartwarming.”
Woodson explained he started helping with the non-profit after his dad’s Sheriff’s Department, Henderson County Sheriff’s Department, lost Deputy Ryan Hendricks on September 10, 2020, after he was shot in the line of duty.
The Carolina Brotherhood memorial riders will cover a total of 700-miles during this year’s trip to honor the memory of 25 fallen first responders. Supporters of the non-profit follow the Carolina Brotherhood on Facebook.
Mrs. Kay Conner reported at the brotherhood stop in Bladen County the 2021 Trooper Kevin Conner Memorial Run is planned for October 16, 2021, this year. She also stated the 701 bridge naming ceremony in honor of her son is also scheduled to be held on October 16, 2021.
Video footage of the event is available on our YouTube channel linked below.
About Author
