- Tallahassee Harley-Davidson hosted a benefit cookout for Sawyer Crawley and his family.
- The nine-year-old from Wakulla County is recovering from terrible injuries sustained in a hit-and-run crash in January.
- Watch the video to hear from Sawyer and his mother about what the community's support means to them.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Rally for Sawyer is an ongoing effort to help a Wakulla County boy overcome a tragic hit-and-run crash that left him terribly injured in January.
Hundreds who came to support him left delighted to see the incredible progress he’s made.
“It’s honestly been an emotional roller coaster," said Kaitlyn Crawley, Sawyer's mom.
A roller coaster that took off in January, when a hit-and-run crash knocked Sawyer Crawley off his bike, sending him to the hospital with critical injuries.
But in a matter of six weeks, the nine-year-old went from intubation, weak mobility and the inability to speak, to standing tall in front of our cameras, telling us he feels “happy.”
“Physically, he has just blown everything out of the water," said Kaitlyn. "He proved everybody wrong. He's like, 'I got this watch me,' and every day he takes a step in that right direction.”
Through it all, a series of fundraisers for the Crawley family sparked across our communities, like Saturday’s cookout benefit at Harley-Davidson of Tallahassee.
A local riding club came up with the idea and with the help of volunteers, a day full of food, raffles and games in honor of Sawyer— came to life.
“And really the motorcycle community is such a tight-knit group," said Kyle Odom, the general manager at Tallahassee Harley-Davidson. "It really is truly a family. And you can see the results, everyone coming together here.”
Hundreds of neighbors came out to see and support the Crawley’s.
“It was shocking at first, it broke my heart," said neighbor Gina Russell.
Some neighbors are still reeling from the tragic incident.
“They're a great family, and I just wish the best for Sawyer, and I hope he continues to heal and get better," said Russell.
Organizers say the event raised more than $2,000, a big help as Sawyer’s mom Kaitlyn says she’s had to cut down on working to be with her little boy who is completely homebound for the time being.
“It's scary," said Kaitlyn. "It is a scary thing. So anything like this has just been absolutely amazing and helps take that burden off, on top of everything else that we're having to do with him. It helps drastically with that and I could not thank everyone enough, this community and everyone around.”
The next six months will consist of occupational therapy to help restore his memory.
In the meantime, Sawyer sends a big thank you to the community..
“Thank you," said Sawyer.
The amount of people coming to rally behind Sawyer was certainly a heartwarming highlight.
“Seeing a bunch of motorcycles and how many people came," said Sawyer.
All proceeds go towards the Crawley family.
