Murphy Diners at Downtown Pizza witnessed a scene unfold on the afternoon of March 7 that involved several law enforcement officers and expected chaos.
The annual Rotary of Murphy fundraising event Jail & Bail supports the Rotary Reads program, which books puts into classrooms in Cherokee County Schools. Donations went toward posting bail for nominated community arrestees. That bail money will be used to purchase books for kindergarten- through second-grade classrooms under the program.
Among the 32 arrestees were Murphy Mayor Tim Radford, Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Victoria Ivie and “Prontees Pete,” a hairy but creative fellow. Diners may have been surprised by the law enforcement presence and holding cell at the front upon entering the popular restaurant.
Wanted posters of each community participant were placed online for all to see. Bail amounts varied and were listed on each poster.
Three characters tied for bringing in the most bail money for the Rotary Reads program. Kevin Hoeschen as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Greg Rosenberger playing Darth Vader and The Wet Bandits from All About Plumbing each raising $315.
The scene was active yet without major incident, considering the number of detainees in a single area. Local law enforcement were able to keep the crowd controlled, and any disturbances were quickly dealt with avoiding a potential mob scene. There was also no need for additional officers to respond to the scene.
One arrestee tried bribing officers with donuts. However, that only resulted in additional charges against them.
The most unruly arrestee was Radford, who yelled while being handcuffed, “Wait! Is this about that overdue library book from 1985? I promise I was going to return it!”
Jacky Egli, president of the Rotary Club of Murphy, “This is a record number of arrestees, and it’s been a great deal of fun.”
Some other participants – like Diane Parker, owner of Parker’s Burgers & Sweets in Ranger – said, “I’m happy to have been a part of a wonderful community event that gives back to children.”
Steven Aft with State Farm Insurance in Murphy said, “What a great way to get involved with a wonderful organization like Rotary, support our community, have fun and help kids. It was also fun with the police department.”
Lizz Aquarian, owner of Downtown Pizza, was also arrested but released early, as her detainment may have resulted in hungry people going without.
The fundraiser brought in a total of $5,244, up from last year’s total of $4,500.
At the close of the event, Sheriff Dustin Smith, playing the part of a judge, pardoned each of the arrestees until next year, when the Jail & Bail program kicks off once again. Someone in the crowd was overheard saying, “There’s no justice.”
Each year, Rotary purchases books for classrooms, and volunteer members read those books to students monthly from October through April. David Brown, publisher of the Cherokee Scout, is chair of the Rotary Reads program this year.
The Rotary Club of Murphy provided lunch for everyone involved in this year’s fundraiser. The Rotary Reads program is still accepting donations which can be mailed to: Rotary Club of Murphy, P.O. Box 846. Murphy NC 28906.