SUCCESS!!! Walking With Stephen: Love, Hope, Justice, & Community in Action
Happy Sunday!
What. A. Beautiful. Walk.
THANK YOU to everyone who registered for the first ever Walking With Stephen event yesterday and thank you to everyone who wrapped Sandy in a big hug this week. Thank you to SLED and the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office (including Sheriff Russell!!) for showing up and keeping us safe.
And gosh —THANK YOU @moseswanders for planning this perfect event. In the words of Sandy Smith “everyone needs a David.”
David and I headed north to Hampton before dawn and didn’t know exactly what challenges we would encounter as we dove headfirst into a community that I have been reporting on for the last 7 years.
The last time we were at Gooding Cemetery was April 2023 when Sandy made the heart wrenching decision to exhume Stephen’s body in concert with SLED for a second independent autopsy. That was a tough day.
When David spoke with Sandy on Friday, she suggested we lift the tone of activities into a joyous occasion – one of LOVE, HOPE, JUSTICE, CARING, and COMMUNITY. And if you click the image link below, you’ll see we did just that.
David compiled a Spotify Playlist with some of Stephen’s favorite songs from Etta James and Sam Cook for participants waking virtually. And we played songs from Etta James at his gravesite and during the walk that Sandy knew would make Stephen smile.
It was so heartwarming to welcome LUNASHARK reporter Beth Braden and videographer Ben Hough while we thanked Premium Members Jennifer M., Jennifer H., Malleri S., Jeff H., Stephanie T., and so many others in attendance.
Our own COJ co-host and Smith family attorney Eric Bland was there with us to deliver powerful remarks to start us off at 8am sharp. As walkers checked-in, each was provided the opportunity to write words like “STRENGTH” “JUSTICE” or “HOPE” on a ribbon they carried to Stephen’s crime scene 1.6 miles up Sandy Run Road.
We were accompanied by agents from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Hampton County Sheriff’s Office deputies, and EMTs to assist with any trouble or traffic along the way. It was really fantastic to feel so supported by law enforcement that truly seemed to care about our safety and about Stephen’s case.
As we walked, I took notice of the Gullah Blue Bottle Trees … In Gullah culture, bottle trees are not just decorations; they are believed to be powerful protectors against evil spirits. The tradition, rooted in Central African spiritual beliefs, involves hanging bottles, traditionally blue, on trees or poles. The spirits are thought to be attracted to the bottles, become trapped inside, and then are destroyed by the morning sun. Though Stephen was not part of the Gullah community, the symbolism of vanquishing evil with sunlight grew as we stepped closer to Stephen’s memorial.
Once we arrived to Stephen’s roadside memorial cross, each participant tied their ribbon to the arch before EB shared an inspiring message and the crowd enjoyed a moment of silence in Stephen’s honor.
The group of about 60 walkers turned back south under police protection and walked the 1.6 miles back to Stephen’s resting place at Gooding Cemetery where Sandy provided the crowd with her final thoughts.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to know that there are so many people who are supporting Stephen through this journey of figuring out what happened,”
– Sandy Smith
In the end, we counted 120 registered participants who joined us in person or walked virtually, raised just over $7,500 for Stephen’s Scholarship Fund and raised over $6,000 for the Independent Investigation fund. We also enjoyed great media coverage from WCIV / ABC 4 and thank you to WTOC’s Aaron Dixon for covering the event on site! You can also watch Eric on Court TV’s Opening Statements with Julie Grant this Monday morning near 8:30am ET.
Please accept my sincere appreciation for all our Premium Members for supporting our mission. Your support allowed LUNASHARK to cover certain expenses for the walk like T-Shirts, restrooms, memorial coins, race operations, and refreshments.
We’ll share audio and video from the event next week on social media and our podcasts, but please do click the link here or above to join in our celebration of Stephen’s life.
After yesterday, I am more certain than ever that together we CAN get #justiceforstephensmith and answers for Sandy.
As always, your support is immensely appreciated and keeps us motivated to expose the truth wherever it leads, give voice to victims and get the story straight.
Stay Tuned, Stay Pesky, and Stay In The Sunlight…
– Mandy
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