🌱 Ironman Brings Out Thousands + FEDUP Third Annual Prayer Breakfast

Hello, friends! It's Tuesday so I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on the most important things happening in town. Today you'll learn about:

• Victim identified in latest NW shooting.
• New Kiwanis scholarship recipient announced.
• Dozens of riders come for police officer's memorial ride.

Let's motor!

But first, today's weather:

Mostly cloudy. High: 84 Low: 60.

Here are the top stories today in Roanoke:

1. Thousands of athletes completed the Ironman 70.3 race after months of training. The event took place at Carvin's Cove, where participants began with a 1.2-mile swim. The race then continued with a 56-mile bike ride along the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, including a challenging 5-mile climb called "The Claw." Finally, athletes finished the race with a half marathon. Haley Reber, a racer who has now completed five Ironman races, praised the beauty of the venue. Dan Grimm, part of a relay team, expressed his excitement about the race passing by his apartment in Wasena, as he considered it a hometown event. The future of the race is uncertain due to upcoming construction on the parkway, but many people hope for its return in the future. (WSLS)
2. Families Expecting Deliverance Using Prayer (FED-UP) organized the Third Annual Prayer Breakfast in Roanoke, aimed at remembering the victims of gun violence from May 2022 to May 2023. The event featured 17 empty chairs, each representing a person killed by gunfire in the city. FED-UP's President, Rita Joyce, emphasized that gun violence does not discriminate based on age, race, or social background. The prayer breakfast served as a platform to raise awareness about the lives lost and provide support to the affected families. Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea presented a proclamation declaring the first Friday in June as Gun Violence Awareness Day and assured the community of the city council's commitment to reducing gun violence and preventing firearms from falling into the wrong hands. (WDBJ)
3. The Roanoke Kiwanis Club recently held its annual pancake breakfast, a successful event that raises tens of thousands of dollars each year. The funds generated from this event contribute to Kiwanis scholarships awarded to high school graduates in Roanoke and Roanoke County. This year, the club introduced a new scholarship category specifically for graduate students studying the environment and natural resources. The recipient of this $5,000 scholarship, the largest ever awarded by the club, is Emma Land, an impressive young woman, who hails from a financially constrained family but has managed to excel academically and professionally. Emma's accomplishments and character were praised by Katherine P. O'Neill, chair of the Environmental Studies program, who recommended her for the Kiwanis scholarship. (Roanoke Times)
4. According to family members, a man named Leon Jones was found dead in Roanoke, near 5th Street and Harrison Ave NW, following a shooting incident. The police received a report of shots fired around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered the unresponsive victim inside a vehicle in the 600 block of Harrison Avenue NW. The man had suffered a critical gunshot wound and was pronounced dead by Roanoke Fire-EMS personnel. The police are currently investigating the incident and trying to gather more information about what led to the shooting. As of now, no arrests have been made. Individuals who have any information about the incident are urged to contact the Roanoke City Police at (540)-344-8500 or text 274637; beginning the text with “RoanokePD”— anonymity is guaranteed. (WDBJ)
5. Dozens of riders gathered in Buchanan for the third-annual Bryan K. Loan Memorial Ride, a motorcycle event organized to honor Bryan, an Army Veteran and Roanoke County police officer who died by suicide in June 2020. Bryan's father, John Loan, described his son as funny and determined, and the memorial ride aims to keep his memory alive. Participants follow the same route that John and Bryan took on their last ride together. The event has received overwhelming support from the motorcycle community, which John considers a brotherhood that readily supports his family. The ride also serves as a fundraiser for the American Legion Rider Scholarship Fund and Freedom Farms. John hopes that the event demonstrates to others that they are not alone and that there are always people to turn to for help. (WSLS)

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Today in Roanoke:

• Golden Cactus Pub Run starting at Golden Cactus Brewing (6 p.m.)
• Dance Artist Talk I with Alicia-Lynn Nascimento Castro at Hollins University (8 p.m.)

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From my notebook:

• Roanoke Fire EMS Department: "While most of our crews have been preparing to support this year’s IRONMAN 70.3 Virginia’s Blue Ridge, one member of our department has been preparing to compete! Captain Todd Reighley will be swimming, biking, and running his way to the finish line!" (Roanoke Fire EMS Department via Facebook)
• Roanoke City Public Schools: "RCPS+ math coaches have been busy in the warehouse getting for summer. Students will be having a lot of fun with hands-on manipulatives and fluency games!" (Roanoke City Public Schools via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "Kittens are very resilient but they can also be fragile. Sometimes they need extra socialization to get used to being around humans. Luckily, there are several ways we can work to help kittens feel more comfortable around us." (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)
• Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge: "Explore Downtown Roanoke, Inc. for your next metro mountain adventure! Click the link to discover restaurants, attractions, places to stay, and more 🎉 Be sure to add nearby attractions like The Roanoke Star and Mill Mountain Zoo to your list!" (Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge via Facebook)

You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you tomorrow.

— Ian

About me: Ian Graham is a novelist, screenwriter, and freelance contributing writer. He is a firm believer in being yourself… unless you can be Batman. Always be Batman. To connect with Ian, you can visit him on Facebook and Instagram. He doesn't bite. Except on full moons.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Roanoke Patch newsletter? Contact me at roanoke@patch.com