New Kent sixth grader raising money for police k-9

COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. — Captain Steve Groat and a group of Colonial Heights Police Officers were gathered outside Dunlop House Assisted Living Facility to watch 11-year-old Braxton Lee.

“ 11. Amazing Right, 11 years old,” said Groat.

“I want to be a professional runner and I want to be a veterinarian,” said Lee.

His passion is running and though young, he has a penchant for helping others, “If you can do something to help, do it, try your best to help others.”

At age 6, he combined his passion and penchant.

In May of 2016, and CBS 6 Reporter Greg McQuade caught up with Lee, where the youngster read a letter he had written.

“I know a bad man killed a police officer in my community,” said Lee.

That year, Lee ran a total of nine, 5-K’s to honor fallen trooper, Chad Dermyer.

“I was running for his family to try and make them feel better for their loss,” said Lee.

Over the next few years, Lee ran in honor of other fallen troopers.

Recently, a brief conversation with his dad created a new mission for the youngster.

“He told me that the Colonial Heights Police Department needed a new K-9 Officer and I told him, well maybe I could run for the officer,” said Lee.

To raise the thousands of dollars needed to purchase a new K-9, Lee has a plan.

“I’m going to run 100 miles to show people that I really want to do this and just so, they can feel like, if he’s willing to run this much for the day, then we should probably help,” said Lee.

For Groat, all it took was a brief conversation with the young man

“Talking about officers, families trying to help, trying to make a difference, it gives you a great outlook in what our future is, when our youth is like this,” said Groat.

Thank’s to Lee’s help, in the next few months, Colonial Heights Police will get a newly trained K-9.

“Basically, it’s going to be able to sniff or smell any illegal narcotic’s, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, methamphetamine, that’s what he’s going to be trained on” said Groat.

Lee started his K-9 fundraising effort on Feb. 20 and will wrap up his 100 miles on April 1 — when he runs his final two and a half miles from the Dunlop House to the Police Station to hand them a check for a new K-9.

Lee’s mantra of trying your best to help others would indeed make the world a better place.

If you’d like to help out Lee, you can go to his GoFundMe to donate.

Thanks for taking a look inside Wayne’s World.

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