Blue Knights International Tennessee Chapter VI, a law enforcement motorcycle club, recently donated $200 to aid 85-year old Edith Campbell after recent fire damage to her home.
Her family set up a bank account in her name to try to raise funds for repairs, and she is temporarily living in a motel.
At their September meeting, member John Holtsclaw, a retired Anne Arundel County, Md., police corporal, suggested the group donate to help Campbell, noting that she had no insurance to assist her and had lost nearly everything.
The home she lived in for years burned down and not long after, the manufactured home into which she had moved caught fire from faulty wiring. Her daughter, Judy Walton, and other family members are in the process of repairing her home but in need of financial support.
Holtsclaw said he is friends with Judy and read about Campbell in the Star.
Campbell is just one of many recipients of the generosity of the Elizabethton Chapter VI, which aside from promoting safety and fraternity among motorcyclists, seeks to assist the people in need and promote a positive relationship between law enforcement personnel and the general public.
Also at the September meeting, the group approved donating $500 to Ride for the Blue, $500 to the Ride for Rodney Williams, a $500 donation to Patty Nicely and $1,000 to Shop with a Cop, a program that gives presents to children at Christmas and promotes positive interaction between police officers and the community.
The Blue Knights International began in 1974 in Maine and now has over 19,000 active members in 27 countries. It has contributed over $17.5 million to various charities and individuals by maintaining a local presence within hundreds of communities. Around 650 chapters exist internatinally, with the local Chapter VI representing Carter County and surrounding counties.
They meet every third Thursday of the month at the Johnson City Golden Corral at 6 p.m.for dinner with the meeting beginning at 7 p.m. and welcome new members who are current or former law enforcement personnel. They host a number of fundraisers throughout the year and participate in various benefit rides.
For more informaiton, send an email to tn6@blueknights.org.