Latest news with #VirginiaBeachPoliceFoundation
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kiggans proposes bill to secure tax-exempt status for donations to fallen Virginia Beach officers
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Congresswoman Jen Kiggans introduced new legislation on Tuesday to ensure the donations and funds towards fallen Virginia Beach Officers Cameron Girvin and Christpher Reese remain tax-exempt. Complete Coverage: Fallen VBPD Officers Girvin and Reese The Virginia Beach Heroes Act is supported by the Virginia Beach Police Foundation and cosponsored by fellow representatives Rob Wittman (VA-01), Bobby Scott (VA-03), John McGuire (VA-05), Ben Cline (VA-06), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), Don Beyer (VA-08) and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10). Hundreds pay tribute to fallen Virginia Beach officers 'Our community lost two local heroes when a cowardly criminal gunned down two of Virgina Beach's finest during a routine traffic stop,' Kiggans said. 'Officers Cameron Girvin and Christopher Reese were taken too soon, leaving behind grief-stricken families and a forever grateful community. I am proud to introduce this bill to ensure the families of our fallen heroes can receive the charitable support they deserve with ease. The City of Virginia Beach, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the United States of America will forever be grateful to these officers who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting our community, and their families will always remain in our prayers.' The legislation will ensure that the cash contributions made towards the families of the fallen officers will not fail to qualify as tax-exempt, and that payments made by charitable organizations maintain their tax-exempt status. 'We are very supportive of the legislation introduced by Representative Kiggans and deeply appreciative of her efforts, along with that of the multiple cosponsors, to help protect the financial well-being of the widows of Police Officers Cameron Girvin and Christopher Reese who were killed in the line of duty in Virginia Beach on February 22, 2025,' Jack Jacocks, President of the Virginia Beach Police Foundation said. The full bill can be read here. Continue to check for updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Yahoo
Community steps up in support of fallen VB officers' families
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The Virginia Beach community has stepped up to support the families of two Virginia Beach Police officers who were killed in the line of duty Friday night. Two VBPD officers killed in the line of duty Friday night Officers Cameron Girvin, 25, and Christopher Reese, 30, died after both were shot during a traffic stop. 'It brought back a lot of bad memories,' said former Virginia Beach Police Chief Jake Jacocks, who now heads the Virginia Beach Police Foundation, now the center for donations for the tragedy that has befallen our community. 'I lost two officers during my tenure as chief, and it's a life changing experience for everyone that goes through it.' One of the first donations was a pledge of $50,000 from TowneBank. 'I presented funds to one of the families yesterday and told her this was the initial contribution to them to help with those immediate, unexpected needs they may face,' Jacocks said. 'I also told them it wasn't the end, and that there was more where that came from, and encouraged her to reach out as funds were needed and we were in a position to help.' 'Evil found them, it was totally evil,' Virginia Beach Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson said, but says the community's core of caring is far and wide. 'In honor of these two heroes, and on the day of the service, all the flags will be at half staff, and Congresswoman [Jen] Kiggans is also going to have a flag flown over our U.S. Capitol building in their honor.' John Zirkle with the Virginia Beach Hotel Association said it is providing free rooms for family and friends. 'Any families coming in from out of town, friends of the officers, we are more than happy to help them,' Zirkle said. 'They have enough going on that they don't have to pay for hotel rooms.' Martha Davenport, executive director of the Virginia Beach Restaurant Association, said that 'we reached out to our restaurant association, and in the first three hours we were able to cover the three shifts at each precinct to include the detective bureau.' Fifteen restaurants answered the call. GoFundMe pages have also been set up for both Girvin and Reese. 'I just want to make sure the information about the GoFundMe pages gets out. They are important.' Said Wilson: 'The devastation to these families, is felt by our law enforcement and public safety community and our city community.' Girvin was to be a dad later this year, and Christopher Reese their families assured a community stands with them. Jacocks, who lost two officers during his tenure as chief, reminded the families support will continue. Said Zirkle: 'Virginia Beach is a hospitality community. This is a community that comes together and understands there is a time and place for everything, and now is the right time to make sure we take care of our own.' To order restaurant gift certificates for the families, you can go here. 'Click on the gift cards,' Zirkle said. 'They can purchase those gift cards when online or [they can] go to the restaurant in person, and they can drop them off at our office.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Yahoo
Donations pour in to aid slain Virginia Beach police officers' families
VIRGINIA BEACH — Cameron Girvin and Chris Reese were among the young ones on the city's police force. Girvin, 25, was sworn into its ranks about five years ago. Reese, 30, joined in 2022, after having served three years as a deputy sheriff. Both officers' lives came to swift and tragic ends Saturday after a driver they'd pulled over late Friday night for having expired plates gunned them down in a townhouse parking lot in the city's Green Run area. The 42-year-old man, John Lee McCoy III, was later found dead from what police believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Both Girvin and Reese were married, and had come to Virginia Beach from other states, said Jake Jacocks, president of the Virginia Beach Police Foundation and a former police chief for the city. Reese and his wife didn't have any children, and Girvin and his wife were expecting their first child in a few months, Jacocks said. According to a GoFundMe page set up for Girvin's family, the couple were high school sweethearts, and due to have a daughter this summer. They planned to name her Paisley. Girvin's wife works as a dispatcher for the city, Jacocks said. 'Fortunately she was not working when this happened,' he said. Reese was described as a loyal friend and devoted husband with a passion for law enforcement on a GoFundMe page created for his family. The Virginia Beach Police Foundation also is collecting donations for the families through its website at Jacocks said. The former police chief encouraged donors to contribute through the foundation, rather than GoFundMe, which charges a fee. 'Every penny that comes through the foundation will go directly to the officers' families,' he said. Jacocks said he already has delivered a check to Reese's wife, and hopes to get one to Girvin's soon, to help with immediate expenses. The families also will be entitled to 'pretty robust' life insurance proceeds, workman's comp, and other benefits from state and local sources, Jacocks said. 'None of that happens right away, but expenses happen right away, and that's why we like to get a check to them as soon as possible,' he said. Tens of thousands of dollars already have been contributed through the GoFundMe pages and the foundation. Multiple businesses also are planning fundraisers, and Towne Bank has pledged $50,000, Jacocks said. In addition to financial help, the foundation and Virginia Beach Police Department will be providing any kind of support the families need, the former chief said. Each family has been assigned a police detail to help them navigate the process, he said. A video posted to social media Sunday showed dozens of police vehicles and motorcycles escorting the officers' bodies from the Tidwater Medical Examiner's Office to funeral homes that will be handling their services. At a news conference Saturday, Police Chief Paul Neudigate described Girvin and Reese as heroes. Both had 'stellar reputations' within the department, he said, and were 'beyond reproach.' A memorial set up outside the Fourth Precinct, where Girvin and Reese were assigned, has been growing since it was created Saturday, with mourners stopping by to leave flowers and other mementos. 'We may seem stoic on the outside, but I can tell you our hearts are breaking on the inside,' Neudigate said. Jane Harper,
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Yahoo
How to donate to help families of officers killed in the line of duty in VB
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Many people are wondering how they can donate and help the families of the two officers who lost their lives over the weekend. Officer Christopher Reese, 30, and Officer Cameron Girvin, 25, were both shot while conducting a traffic stop late Friday night. Reese passed away that night while Girvin died in the hospital the following morning. VBPD: Two officers dead after traffic stop Friday night Tributes and condolences poured in from all over the area, and a memorial was set up in front of Virginia Beach's Fourth Precinct. Many have wondered how they can donate to help the families of these fallen officers. The Virginia Beach Police Foundation is a charitable, non-profit, private organization distinct and separate from the Virginia Beach Police Department and the City of Virginia Beach. According to their website, 'The Foundation is a resource to the Police Department to supplement the funding provided by the City of Virginia Beach.' They also assist individual officers who need financial assistance if they or their family find themselves in financial hardship, such as inability to work due to a non-work related injury or illness. They said they are ready to assist and support the family members and Department members during this tragic time, and 'every penny donated in response to this tragic concern will go directly to support the families of the two fallen officers and the members of the Virginia Beach Police Department.' Community mourns VBPD officers killed Friday night Individuals and businesses can donate at the website linked here, or they can mail checks to the foundation at PO Box 56385, Virginia Beach, VA 23456. Along with the Virginia Beach Police Foundation, several local businesses have stepped in ready to raise funds and lend their support, taking to social media to alert people about their plans. Thin Brew Line, located on Oceana Boulevard, said on Facebook they were 'brewing this Irish Stout today with a heavy heart. 100% of all proceeds will go to the families of Cameron Girvin and Christopher Reese.' We will continue to update this list as more businesses come in. You can also let us know about businesses who are donating at this link: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
