In February, 2010, Hunter Thomas Resch, a 7-year-old Cub Scout who attended Paddy Hill Elementary, was tragically killed by his father in a murder-suicide that rocked the Greece community. On Saturday, the community proved once again that it had not forgotten.
The Greece Police, firefighters from all over town, cub scouts, school groups, and hundreds of runners, donors and volunteers gathered at Barnard Park on July 21 for fun and games and to contribute to the Hunter Resch Foundation through the third annual Hunter Resch Carnival.
"It's very overwhelming," said Cheryl Ras, Hunter's grandmother. "This support is what's kept us going all this time and we really appreciate it."
Hunter's family set up the Hunter Resch Foundation shortly after his death as a way to help other families that have lost a child due to domestic violence. In the past two years, it has helped 12 families from as far away as Corona, CA to as close as Hilton.
The foundation's biggest event has always been the annual carnival, and this year, it added a 5k race to the all-day fundraiser. Over 150 runners participated in the first of what organizers said will be an annual part of the event.
This year's carnival also featured a demonstration by Hunter, the Greece Police dog named after Resch, and a Child ID station where police fingerprinted and photographed children as a precaution against future missing persons incidents.
"Our Greece Police are the best in the world," Ras said. "They are so supportive it gives me goosebumps."
According to event organizer and Resch family spokesperson Stacey Morrison, the Greece Police Department, affected by the 2010 tragedy, "adopted" the family and has been helping as much as possible since.
"The murder of Hunter is probably one of the most profound jobs that most Greece Police officers ever responded to," said Greece Police Chief Todd Baxter, who took office only four days before the murder and said in an interview with the Post one year later that he kept a photo of Hunter on his mantel.
"It's close to us, and over the years we've developed a great relationship with the family," he said. "It's just natural for us to support them while they try to support other families that are in need."
In February, 2010, Hunter Thomas Resch, a 7-year-old Cub Scout who attended Paddy Hill Elementary, was tragically killed by his father in a murder-suicide that rocked the Greece community. On Saturday, the community proved once again that it had not forgotten.
The Greece Police, firefighters from all over town, cub scouts, school groups, and hundreds of runners, donors and volunteers gathered at Barnard Park on July 21 for fun and games and to contribute to the Hunter Resch Foundation through the third annual Hunter Resch Carnival.
"It's very overwhelming," said Cheryl Ras, Hunter's grandmother. "This support is what's kept us going all this time and we really appreciate it."
Hunter's family set up the Hunter Resch Foundation shortly after his death as a way to help other families that have lost a child due to domestic violence. In the past two years, it has helped 12 families from as far away as Corona, CA to as close as Hilton.
The foundation's biggest event has always been the annual carnival, and this year, it added a 5k race to the all-day fundraiser. Over 150 runners participated in the first of what organizers said will be an annual part of the event.
This year's carnival also featured a demonstration by Hunter, the Greece Police dog named after Resch, and a Child ID station where police fingerprinted and photographed children as a precaution against future missing persons incidents.
"Our Greece Police are the best in the world," Ras said. "They are so supportive it gives me goosebumps."
According to event organizer and Resch family spokesperson Stacey Morrison, the Greece Police Department, affected by the 2010 tragedy, "adopted" the family and has been helping as much as possible since.
"The murder of Hunter is probably one of the most profound jobs that most Greece Police officers ever responded to," said Greece Police Chief Todd Baxter, who took office only four days before the murder and said in an interview with the Post one year later that he kept a photo of Hunter on his mantel.
"It's close to us, and over the years we've developed a great relationship with the family," he said. "It's just natural for us to support them while they try to support other families that are in need."
Ras said she hopes the festival benefits the police, as well.
"In addition to the fun we try to make it a little educational," she said, "maybe get kids used to the idea that the police are their friends."
Morrison said that, because Hunter was a child, the foundation organizes the carnival to appeal to children in his age group. She said the Resch family is amazed and humbled every year by the amount of people who spend their time and money keeping his memory alive.
"Thank you is not enough," Morrison said. "It's the community that keeps us going. Even not knowing Hunter, everybody loves Hunter."
