RALEIGH, N.C. — The Raleigh community is opening its arms to grieving families once again. This comes after a young girl dancing in the city’s annual Christmas parade was hit and killed by a driver who lost control of his truck, while it was pulling a float, near the intersection of Hillsborough Street and Boylan Avenue 

What You Need To Know 

Raleigh community members are lending a helping hand after tragic accident

A memorial site is in downtown Raleigh for the young girl who died during the Christmas parade

Local minister said community support right now is important

There is now a memorial site downtown at the intersection.

Rev. Gary Walling, the interim senior minister at Hillyer Memorial Christian Church, said this support is needed right now. 

“We want them to know they are not alone, and that they are in prayers, that they are in our thoughts and just stand as a community ready to service and help, and fold them in our love and in our care,” Walling said. 

The tragedy took place close to Walling’s church. When the church learned what was happening, the minister and church members saw a need, and they responded. 

“We were able to open up our fellowship hall. We are right here in the proximity of this accident, and so the dance group began to move into our fellowship hall, and their directors and their adults were taking care of them,” Walling said. 

Walling said acts like this one are flowing throughout the community, whether that be at the memorial site or at a local business. 

“I was getting a cup of coffee, just down the street at a coffee shop, and when I tried to pay they said somebody already paid ahead for the day for anybody coming through to get them a cup of coffee,” Walling said. “And, I don’t know why somebody would do such a thing as that except to just say in the midst of the tragedy like this, if we can just be kind to one another, helpful, just smile a little more, be gentle, it may improve our communal life.”

While the community is opening their arms to offer support, Walling said he hopes those acts of kindness continue. 

“One of the challenges, I think in a tragedy like this, is that our caring becomes momentary. That we may reach out to the family for a few days and then life calls us back, and we get about our jobs, and our work, our school, everything else,” Walling said. “And, maybe there just needs to be those kinds of reminders that our caring for one another needs to be something that’s constant and continuing. It’s a family that will need to be cared for a long time.”

Walling said if you are impacted by this tragedy you can reach out to therapists or clergy members to help you through it. 

“Raleigh is an incredible community, but we are a community like any other.” Walling said. “And we will. We have had these days in our past. We will have these days in our future, and what we can really do is be there for one another and lift each other when those days come.”