On Tuesday, September 29th, the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office hosted our 6th annual Rooftop Cops event at Bojangles in Jefferson, in observance of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Local and State law enforcement officers gather on the roof of Bojangles to raise funds for children in and from Ashe County who are battling cancer.
The annual event brought together multiple agencies to support local children and their families in need. Local and State Officers stood atop Bojangles, waving to passersby and engaging with visitors who stopped to donate. Participating agencies included the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office, Ashe Memorial Hospital, Jefferson Police Department, West Jefferson Police Department, North Carolina State Parks, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and North Carolina Wildlife Resources.
While the law enforcement is front and center, the core of the event is supported and driven by our local non-profit, Badges of Ashe. President Michele Green, Christy Pruitt, and Lisa Miller stood the entire day beside our law enforcement, raising funds and speaking with families. “Badges of Ashe is honored to be a part of Rooftop Cops. For us, it’s more than just a fundraiser; it’s law enforcement and volunteers showing up for their community. This event reflects the dedication, generosity, and unwavering commitment to supporting the families of Ashe County.” – Michele Greene (BOA President)
Sheriff Howell began Rooftop Cops to bring these families a glimmer of hope and support from their community. This year marks our 6th year of climbing on the roofs of local fast-food restaurants to raise money for diagnosed children and their families in our community, easing some of the financial burden that comes with these diagnoses. We have provided funds to many local children and have raised over $80,000, including this year.
“This year, we have helped two families with the funds we raised from the 2025 event. Including the Hare family. Merritt is a 2-year-old who was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma in the summer of 2026. This year’s event will continue to support Merritt with the remaining funds reserved for other local families through the following year. 100% of the money raised stays right here, helping families when they need it most”. ~ Sheriff Howell
This was our 3rd year on the roof of Bojangles in Jefferson. We had another awesome day with the BO crew and all the officers. We had live music from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. with Doug Davis Band from Wilkesboro and Ashe County’s own Glen Sullivan. Maria from Bojangles made balloon animals for all the kiddos who came in, while some students from Ashe County High School painted faces. Another big shout-out to the Oak Hill Men’s Basketball team for coming by, having dinner with us, and showing their support. A few of them even joined us on the roof.
Bojangles once again went above and beyond, donating 100% of their sales that day to support our event. Thanks to their generosity and the incredible outpouring from our community, we are proud to announce that we have raised approximately $23,100, with more to come over the next few days.
We are truly blessed to live in a community that comes together and supports one another. We would like to say a BIG THANK YOU, ASHE COUNTY!!!! We couldn’t put this event on without you and Bojangles. We would like to extend another BIG thank you to Badges of Ashe for their incredible help with organizing, fundraising, and supporting this event.
Again, Thank You to all the law enforcement officers for taking time out of your day to show support for this great event. This day was such a great success, with this total breaking our record.
If you or someone you know has a child who is battling cancer, please get in touch with Tasha Francis and the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office at 336-846-5995.
We are truly blessed to live and serve in such a great community. Thank you again, Ashe County!!
