Latest news with #ColumbiaCountyUnityFundraiser
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Postponed Columbia County Unity Fundraiser to happen Saturday at new location
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Postponed from its original date due to the threat of severe weather, the Columbia County Unity Fundraiser to benefit the families of Columbia County Sheriff's Office Deputy Brandon Sikes and Deputy Gavin White will be held this Saturday. The event will be held at the Augusta Elks Lodge located at 205 Elkdom Court a few blocks from Westside High School. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. Food trucks and vendors will be present, as well as other activities, including a bounce house with a 60-foot obstacle course, a foam party, a visit from a favorite Disney princess, and tons of unique and antique vehicles, with a vehicle contest. Entry into the car show is $10 per vehicle entry. There will also be a silent auction with a RecTeq Grill, spa packages, a 12-foot utility trailer, Dewalt tool set, Guitar Pull tickets, gift cards, gift baskets and more. All proceeds go to benefit the families of the deputies involved in the deadly shooting that claimed the life of one Columbia County deputy on Saturday, April 26th, and severely wounded another. Columbia County Sheriff's Office Deputy Brandon Sikes was killed in the line of duty Saturday, April 26th, and another, Columbia County Sheriff's Office Deputy Gavin White, was critically wounded when a suspect opened fire on the two deputies along I-20 near Exit 194 at Belair Road. It happened while three Columbia County Sheriff's Deputies, which included Deputies Sikes and White, were serving a Temporary Protective Order to Montgomery during a traffic stop. The suspect, James Blake Montgomery, allegedly opened fire on the three deputies with a 9mm AR Pistol after they turned to walk to their vehicles. The other on-scene deputy has not received much attention, but he is credited with saving Deputy White's life. Columbia County Sheriff`s Office Deputy Gavin White was critically wounded when the suspect opened fire on him and the other on-scene deputies. Deputy Andrew Brown, when he noticed that White had been shot and was not dead, dragged him past several law enforcement vehicles while still under fire from the suspect and got Deputy White into one of the county vehicles where Deputy Brown drove him through the gunfire in an effort to get him to a hospital. According to Columbia County Sheriff's Office, Deputy White was released from the hospital Thursday, May 1st, and was returned home where he continued his recovery. Deputy Sikes was laid to rest Monday, May 6th, following a public ceremony that saw Georgia Governor Brian Kemp attend. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Local small business, Charm and Char, raising funds for Columbia County deputies
COLUMBIA COUNTY, Ga. (WJBF) – People in the community are continuing to donate and support the families of fallen Columbia County Deputy Brandon Sikes and injured deputy Gavin White. Charm and Char is a local small business that sells fashion accessories, home décor, and more. Owner Tanya Smelker was asked to make stickers in honor of Deputies Brandon Sikes and Gavin White. But she wanted to do more than just create and sell. ''Hey, do you have the capacity to make stickers?' said Tanya Smelker, Charm and Char LLC. 'And I was like, yeah, I do have the capacity to do that. Instead of charging for my services, I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to raise money for the Sikes and the Whites families.' Smelker sold stickers last week at her booth at the Evans Market. But the interest was much greater. 'Everybody was like We can't make it like we can order online, and that's when the online sales just exploded, so to speak,' said Smelker. The stickers are 8 dollars. Smelker is also selling hats, which are 20 dollars. Smelker and some from the Wives of Columbia County Sheriff's Office have helped her package and send off the items. 100% of the proceeds from the stickers and 10 dollars from each hat will go to the families. She's raised more than 2500 dollars from those sales as of Tuesday. 'Absolutely mind blowing to me, like I did not expect that. I expected maybe like $500 bucks,' said Smelker. Charm and Char will be at the Columbia County Unity Fundraiser this Saturday. 'We're going to have some more stickers over there. I'll have my box with me, and I'll have some hats with me,' said Smelker. Orders will be taken until May 10th, and she plans to give the donations to the families next week. If you want to order, you can do so on Charm and Char's website or you can attend the Columbia County Unity Fundraiser this Saturday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.
