Community honors fallen hero this week

Leigh Walther Photography

On May 4, 2019, a family lost a beloved son, brother, fiancé – and Mooresville lost one of its finest and bravest.

To mark one year since K9 Officer Jordan Sheldon was killed in the line of duty, a small group of area residents is urging the community to honor the fallen officer by supporting an effort his family says would have meant the world to him.

The goal: to raise at least $20,000 by Monday, May 4, to finish funding Mitchell Community College’s endowment scholarship in Jordan’s name.

Mooresville’s Shop N Save is a collection spot for donations this week to the Officer Jordan H. Sheldon Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship needs at least $20,000 to be fully-funded before May 4, which will mark one year since Jordan was shot and killed in the line of duty.

Once the Officer Jordan H. Sheldon Memorial Scholarship is fully funded, at a minimum of $50,000, the interest earned on the principal investment will provide at least two scholarships a year – forever – to cadets attending Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET).

“During the worst year of our lives, we have done a lot of reflecting in our grief,” said Carson Ledford, Jordan’s brother. “His death has left a hole which could never be filled. It is unbearable. In recognizing that loss, we are reminded of the huge impact he had on each member of our family.

“He wasn’t a hero because he died – he was and continues to be our hero because of who he was when he was alive.

“We want Jordan to have every opportunity to keep making an impact,” Carson said. “This scholarship is one way he can do that – by alleviating a portion of the cost for BLET cadets pursuing a career in law enforcement.”

Jordan worked while attending school full-time, Carson said: “He knew the burden all too well. Each generation in a family hopes that the next generation has it easier than they did. Jordan did not receive financial assistance for BLET. It is our hope that the next class of cadets will have it easier than he did. And that for generations to come, those students will know his name and that he helped them, too.”

Organizations and individuals are already stepping up to help meet the scholarship goal.

The people working to raise the funds say they’re confident Mooresville will pull it off. “Look at what this community has already done – and what it’s able to do,” said Sarah West, president of Sheldon’s K9s (SK9), an organization named after Jordan to carry-on his passion for canines and policing.

SK9 is suspending its Facebook fundraising this week to instead support the scholarship drive. “All donations made via our donate-now button on our Facebook page – and a Facebook fundraiser being created – will be going 100 percent to Officer Sheldon’s scholarship,” West said.

To help meet the fundraising goal, SK9 ordered 500 12”x18” blue-line flags, many of which will mark various businesses participating in the drive this week. The public can also purchase those flags April 27-May 1 through the SK9 Facebook page.

Volunteers will hand-deliver the purchased flags on May 2 and 3 throughout the 28115 and 28117 zip codes. “We know that the Mooresville community can – and will – deliver on this to honor Officer Sheldon and his family on one of the darkest days in our town’s history,” West said.

Each day this week, the Mooresville Scoop and Iredell Firewire will provide updated lists on Facebook of people and businesses that are participating in the scholarship drive. Our hope is that the community will return the support to those who are lending a hand to help Jordan’s family reach this important goal.

Many thanks to the following businesses and individuals that have already committed their help and support:

  • Shop N Save will accept donations through May 4 for the scholarship inside the store … “in honor of a true Mooresville hero.”
  • Leigh Walther Photography is donating “to honor the memory and legacy of Officer Jordan Sheldon, a good friend and exceptional man.”
  • Pet Pilgrimage is behind “Tribute Tuesday,” a campaign that kicks off on Tuesday. Here’s how it works: Pet Pilgrimage will request $10 donations from its webpage followers. Those donors, in turn, will forward the $10 request to 10 of their friends, and each of those friends will donate $10 and forward the request to 10 more people.
  • Sawyer Insurance donated to the scholarship in memory of Jordan and “to help eliminate possible financial restrictions that may stand in the way of men and women wanting to pursue a profession of community service.”
  • Jason Abernethy, broker/realtor of My Sweet Carolina Home/Allen Tate Realty, is making a memorial donation to the scholarship. “The least we can do to honor the memory of someone who lost his life while protecting and serving his community is to provide support and encouragement to others who want to pursue the same honorable profession.”
  • Chris and Francie Carney are donating “in memory of Jordan and in honor of the brave heroes of the Mooresville Police Department.”
  • Daily Fitness plans to collect contributions from its gym members to donate.
Sawyer Insurance donated to the endowed scholarship as part of a week-long drive to fully-fund it by May 4. Once the $50,000 goal is reached, the interest earned on the principal investment will offer at least two scholarships a year – forever – to two cadets in Basic Law Enforcement Training.

Interested in pitching in to help? Businesses can “round-up” sales this week or, for example, donate a portion of proceeds from the sale of a particular item through the week – or even for just a day. Email the Scoop at jaimegatton@gmail.com – note the “i” before the “m” in Jaime – with any questions or to let us know how you want to help.

Many of the businesses participating in the scholarship drive this week will be marked with blue line flags and informational flyers about the scholarship.

Businesses and individuals can also donate through the SK9 Facebook fundraiser, which has already been launched, or give through Mitchell Community College.

Businesses and individuals can also donate through the SK9 fundraiser (visit the SK9 FB page … we will be posting links to this fundraiser through the week), or give to Mitchell Community College directly by visiting https://mitchellcc.edu/give-online and selecting “Jordan H. Sheldon Memorial Scholarship” from the drop-down menu.

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About Author

Hi! I’m Jaime

I was a newspaper reporter in Mooresville, NC for a decade and covered local government issues from 2003 to 2006.

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