Stone County 100 Club gala helps support first responder families

On Thursday evening, March 26, members and friends of the Stone County 100 Club gathered at Ledgestone Grille for an evening of fellowship and support for the county’s first responders. The event featured silent and live auctions, wine and whiskey pull, and a tasty BBQ dinner. 

The mission of 100 Clubs nationwide is to honor and support families of first responders who have fallen in the line of duty. That purpose hits close to home this year, with the recent deaths of two officers from neighboring Christian County during a manhunt following a traffic stop. A special music video was shared to honor the memory of those officers, featuring a song by Josh Cherry, who served as emcee for the evening; and gala attendees also had the opportunity to donate financially to assist the families of two other area officers injured during the incident.   

Special speaker for the gala was Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Michael Linegar, the son of Trooper Jimmie Linegar who was killed by a fugitive in 1985 at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 65 and Missouri Hwy. 86. Michael Linegar shared his perspective about growing up and hearing the story, and then feeling led to enter law enforcement, with moms in attendance wiping tears as he described his mother’s decision to support that calling. He spoke of his own reactions when driving past the memorial sign marking the place where his dad was killed, and many attendees renewed their commitment to use that and similar signs as a reminder to pray for the families, as well as other families whose loved ones daily accept risk in order to help keep the rest of us safe. 

Linegar wrapped up his presentation with a few entertaining traffic-stop stories. That set the stage for Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader to serve as auctioneer, with Cherry’s assistance, for the live auction, creating plenty of light-hearted fun as attendees bid on their favorite items. 

Get involved and show your support, plus stay up to date on future 100 Club events, by visiting the Facebook page or https://www.stonecounty100club.com.