MORGANTOWN — Sgt. Michael Todd May was killed in the line of duty by a drunk driver Feb. 18, 2012, but those who knew him are making sure his legacy of helping others continues.
More than $144,000 has been contributed to a scholarship endowment created in May’s honor, Monongalia County Sheriff Perry Palmer said. The scholarship was started in 2012 and helps those earning criminal justice degrees from Fairmont State University, May’s alma mater.
The scholarship is funded primarily through a yearly golf scramble and poker run but Deputy Jason Morgan, found a new way to help contribute to the fund.
Morgan started the first Sgt. Michael Todd May Mega Raffle. He said area businesses have been generous in donating items for the raffle. WV Jewelry & Loan printed and donated the tickets being sold.
“I didn’t expect it [the raffle] to be so big,” Morgan said. “We have the potential to take and put $10,000 more into the scholarship fund.”
There are 10,000 tickets for sale at a dollar a piece, Tammy White, scholarship committee member, said.
The prizes are:
- A Winchester Model 70, donated by WV Jewelry & Loan
- A Fat Boy Jr. 48-gun safe, display signs and posters, donated by Liberty Safe of West Virginia
- An Anderson MFG AR15, donated by Second Amendment Sports & Defense
- A Savage Model III, donated by Cashland Pawn III
- A one-year membership to Defense in Depth, donated by Defense in Depth
The drawing will be held Sept. 1 and the winner must be able to pass a background check to receive any firearms.
“Todd touched a lot of lives,” Morgan said. “He did a lot of things that we got to continue on in Todd’s name. Not just for our department, but for Todd himself.”
Palmer said May was an outstanding officer and great role model for younger officers. Morgan was one of those younger deputies to benefit from May’s experience — May was his field training officer, he said.
Morgan said he still practices and thinks about the things he learned from May. One thing May taught him was compassion, he said.
May was involved in the community and regularly participated in events such as shop with a cop at Christmas time and handed out Thanksgiving baskets, she said.
Palmer said the community has shown unwavering support for the scholarship since its inception and year-after-year business and community members continue to show up to events and donate to the cause.
The annual poker run, sponsored by Triple S Harley-Davidson, will be Aug. 4, Palmer said.
