COURTLAND
Ten years ago, Senior Virginia State Trooper and Courtland native Robert A. Hill Sr. was struck and killed by the driver of a vehicle while conducting a traffic stop on Route 58 in Southampton County. As he was speaking with the driver of the vehicle he had stopped, another car ran off the highway, striking the other car and Hill, who died at the scene.

This year, Hill’s former partner, retired state police Sgt. Sammy Carr, is coordinating the 10th annual Robert A. Hill Fraternal Order of Police Lodge toy ride, an event created to continue Hill’s love of providing toys to underprivileged children in the Western Tidewater area.

The ride is open to both police and civilian motorcyclists and will travel through Isle of Wight and Southampton Counties Saturday, Oct. 29, starting at 10:30 a.m. Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will cost $15 for riders and $5 for passengers. All proceeds will go towards the purchase of new toys for local children, something Hill did every year around this time.

“Robert was really great about soliciting troopers for toys for Christmas for underprivileged children in the Courtland area,” Carr said. “He would even go out on Christmas morning, find a kid who didn’t get a bicycle and say, ‘Here, this is for you.’”

The ride will be approximately 60-70 miles, all on country roads, no interstates. The ride is expected to take about two hours and there will be a midpoint stop at Circle K 111 County Drive, Wakefield. The ride will end at Fred’s Restaurant, 107 S. Main St., Franklin to conclude with a lunch buffet courtesy of Fred’s for all participants.

In the past, riders have been joined by Blue Knight police riders, FOP riders, state police troopers and other friends of Hill. The ride will be held rain or shine and will include a 50/50 raffle and door prizes.