CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Jamie Kelly's friends described him as a caring, giving person.
"His kindness is probably just one of his amazing characteristics as far as coming from a coach background, from a teacher background, and wrestling," said Shawn Darnell, who said he met Kelly in junior high school in the Great Bridge area of Chesapeake.
"He would call you just at random times to tell you just off-the-wall things," said Chad Madaloni, who had known Kelly since high school. Madaloni said they were best friends growing up.
Darnell agreed with Madaloni, saying, "The humor was amazing. We were always pretty good at making each other laugh."
He also called Kelly a loving father, whose death at 43 years old was a shock to his family and friends.
"In 2019 in August, he went out for a run and came back and had a cardiac arrest," Darnell said, recalling the initial phone call he received from Kelly's wife. "His daughter was about to be a freshman in high school. Son-- junior high. Seventh grade.. It was heartbreaking."
"It was tough to kind of move life ahead," Darnell said. "And so, that's kind of where the friends kind of got together and said, 'Well, let's start a foundation for them.'"
Two years after Kelly's death, his friends formed the JK Foundation to physically and financially support families when a parent or guardian suddenly passes away. Darnell serves as president and Madaloni is vice president.
"[The foundation was] started...to remember Jamie, but also, help the family along," Madaloni said, noting that the foundation has helped the Kelly family college tuition and housing assistance. "We got together and said, 'Ok, look, I think we can build something bigger and help more families.'"
"How do we still establish that normalcy where it doesn't disrupt their lives completely?" Darnell said. "Simple labor things that maybe you don't think about that, you know, Jamie would always do."
"He was always there for all of us," Darnell said. "He would be part of this, he would be running this if he was here... Jamie, he's not here, but we're going to make sure you remember who he is through the JK Foundation."
You can find out more about JK Foundation on its website, where you can also request assistance for a family in need. You can also follow the nonprofit on Facebook.
JK Foundation will visit two Chesapeake restaurants to celebrate Give Local 757 Day. You can join the nonprofit on April 25, 2023 at Taste on Eden Way North in Chesapeake from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Big Woody's Bar and Grill on North Battlefield Boulevard from 3 to 8 p.m.
The Give Local 757 campaign officially runs from 10 a.m. on April 25th to 10 a.m. on April 26th, but you can donate to JK Foundation and other local groups before the big event as well by clicking here.
Editor's note: This year's Give Local 757 Day will be Tuesday, April 25, 2023, and will go for 24 hours beginning at 10 a.m. During that time, you can visit Give Local 757's website to find a group to support. Once you're there, you can search for an organization by name, by location, or by cause. When you find the group you want or like, you can look at its profile or just click on "Donate."