Ride for Trooper Blanton Sat in AVL area,

North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper David Shawn Blanton, Jr., 24, who died Tuesday, June 17, in the line of duty, received in-service law enforcement training at Southwestern Community College.

Blanton was apparently shot during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 in Haywood County near the Canton Exit 31 around10:30 p.m. Tuesday. According to authorities, Blanton stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation and when he attempted to take the driver into custody, the driver resisted, then apparently shot him. The driver, 37-year-old Edwardo Wong II of Florida, was charged with first-degree murder following a hearing Wednesday before Judge Monica Leslie in Waynesville District Court.

Blanton, who was from Cherokee, was the first enrolled member of the Eastern Band to become a state trooper, according to Principal Chief Michell Hicks.

Blanton and his wife, Michaela, just had a son, Brendan Tyler, born seven weeks premature, who is still in the neonatal intensive care unit at Mission Hospitals.

Blanton's son, Tye, passed away in October 2008 at the age of 4 months.

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- Memorial to Trooper David Shawn Blanton[/url]

Biker Rally for Fallen Trooper Shawn Blanton Spectacular > Motorcycle News > Brain Bucket Magazine
Michaela Blanton says the people closest to her know that she is never at a loss for words.

North Carolina - But the young widow of slain N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper David Shawn Blanton Jr. said Saturday that she was “completely numb and speechless” at the outpouring of support her family received from thousands of motorcycle riders and others who participated in Saturday’s Fallen Hero Memorial Ride.

“I’m so touched and humbled by all of these people who are here,” Michaela Blanton said in an interview with the Citizen-Times before a ceremony at the end of the ride. “I just wish Shawn were here to share in this,” she said. “But I know he’s watching … from heaven.”

Generosity flows
With cash still coming in and a stack of checks waiting to be tallied, more than $36,000 had been counted by midafternoon Saturday. More than 4,600 bikers registered for the ride from the Kearfott plant in Black Mountain to the Eaglenest entertainment center in Maggie Valley. The registration fee was $10, but many donated much more.

The family of Shawn Blanton, 24, who died June 17 after he was shot twice during a traffic stop near Canton, will need every penny of the money. The couple’s newborn son, Brendan Tye Blanton, has been hospitalized since his birth seven weeks early on May 31 and still faces surgery for a heart condition at Duke University Medical Center.

During a brief ceremony at the Eaglenest attended by several of the Blantons’ family members in addition to Michaela, ride organizer Don Gundry addressed the huge crowd of bikers gathered solemnly in the parking lot below the makeshift stage.

“Two weeks ago, we were going to stage a poker run, get maybe 200 bikes and raise $2,000,” Gundry, owner of Mack Kell’s pub and grill in Asheville, said with emotion. “And now, today, look at you — you’re unbelievable.”

The bikers were pretty unbelievable, particularly their numbers. Danny Grooms, of Arden, who’s ridden in a number of fundraisers that began at the Kearfott plant, gazed in awe at the bikes lined up in perfect rows in Black Mountain, ready to head west on U.S. 70 just before 1 p.m. Saturday.

Huge numbers
“This is more bikes than I’ve ever seen in this parking lot, and I do a lot of toy runs,” Grooms said. “And they just keep on coming.”

The bikers’ stated reasons for taking part in the ride and offering donations generally came down to one thing: to support Shawn Blanton’s family.

“We have to take care of his wife and that little boy,” Grooms said.

U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, wearing a Ghost Town Harley-Davidson shirt and jeans, exchanged dozens of hugs with old high-school buddies and other friends and family members in the Kearfott lot before hopping on his own Harley for the trip to Maggie Valley.

“Whether it be a fallen soldier or a fallen trooper or someone else in need, these bikers come out and support them,” Shuler said, nodding at the sea of motorcycles surrounding him. “There’s 3,000 bikes here already, and they got this thing together in two weeks.”

Police escorts
The ride itself was a spectacle to behold. Normal vehicular traffic was at a standstill as the seemingly neverending stream of bikes snaked its way through Swannanoa on U.S. 70 to Tunnel Road in Asheville, through the tunnel, down College Street to Patton Avenue, then to U.S. 19-23 and U.S. 19 into Maggie Valley.

An Asheville Police Department cruiser with blue lights flashing led the caravan through town to the city limits, then turned escort duties over to 14-year-veteran State Trooper Tre Franklin, Blanton’s friend and colleague.

Other law enforcement agencies had cars in the lineup, including the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department and police departments from Canton, Waynesville, Weaverville, Woodfin, Black Mountain and Western Carolina University.

Somber atmosphere
Hundreds of spectators dotted the route from beginning to end, standing on corners and curbs to wave at or salute the bikers, who in turn waved, raised a fist of solidarity or flashed a peace sign. They rode alone and in pairs, many with flags attached to their bikes, and exuded an unusually somber demeanor compared with the partylike atmosphere of holiday toy runs or other, more upbeat fundraising efforts.

“This is just a tragic situation, when something like this happens to somebody out there just trying to protect and serve,” said Joy Gilmore, who rode up from Charlotte with her husband, Louis, to take part in the ride. “This is going to be a very difficult time for (Michaela), and this is a beautiful thing, to see everybody out here united together.”

Donna Galloway stood at the corner of Tunnel Road and Riceville Road in Asheville, close enough to touch the passing riders, and waved at each and every bike. Her daughter, Jean Reese, was riding in the caravan. But mostly, she was there to support Michaela and Tye Blanton.

“I just support that family so much,” Galloway said when the last bike had passed by, wiping tears from her cheeks. “That young man was just out there trying to do his job, and that baby’s struggling. … I’m just so happy that all these people turned out to help them.”

Michaela Blanton’s mother, Cindi Layman, watching the steady stream of bikes enter the Eaglenest parking lot at the end of the ride, was also glad that so many people turned out, even though she said her “heart hurts so bad.”

“So many people have been calling us (from along the route), telling us how huge this,” she said with amazement. “It’s such a shame that it takes a tragedy to bring so many people together. But the support we’ve received — there are no words.”

Source: Citizen-Times

This article contributed by editor on Monday, July 14, 2008 (02:48:04)


Just some more info for you folks, very worthwhile cause :beerchug:
 
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I think it's $25 per rider. Lunch and t-shirt included. We need more Jap bike turnout, so I am not surrounded by so many Harleys.
 
I'll be there for sure,

HIllary riding shotgun with me also,

Guess I'll be there early, I have a feeling the turnout is going to be awesome.
 
Greenbean, my neighbor will be riding with us, he worked with Trooper Blanton. He said not to get there too early as there will be a lot of waiting around. So ...........10:30ish?????
 
We had a pretty fun slow ride this weekend. They raised lots of money for the memorial and we had a blast hanging out with Greenbean and Hillary. here are some pics from the ride. There was hundreds of bikes there. Here's a shot our gang I went with. The gsxr's were well represented.

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Other than Greenbean and myself there were 2 more busas. One guy is a member here but never checks in and the other guy hadnt heard of the .org.

We welcomed them.

All the bikes met at 3 locations and rode to the starting point. Here is where we met.

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