Community Rallies Around Late Anchor Bay Student's Family

Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday in Chesterfield Township to honor 11-year-old Kyle Halcomb, an Anchor Bay Middle School North sixth-grader who died last month after sustaining serious injuries in a multi-vehicle crash on 26 Mile and County Line.

The Maconce Elementary PTO sponsored a spaghetti dinner fundraiser at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge on 24 Mile Road in an effort to benefit the Kyle Halcomb Memorial Fund and lend support to Kyle’s family and friends.

Organizers hoped to draw about a thousand people to the event, setting their fundraising goal at $10,000.

Students, parents show support for family

Eleven-year-old Destiny Hubbard and 12-year-old Hannah DeVoll, sixth-graders at , remember their friend Kyle as a funny, smart and caring person.

“I was really sad and I knew I’d miss him,” Hubbard said, adding that she misses being able to talk to Kyle before and in between classes at school.

Aaron and Michelle Sypolt, of Chesterfield Township, came out to the fundraiser with their three Anchor Bay students in tow to show continued support from the school community.

“We hear about it all over the place, but when it’s in our district, it’s really bad,” said Mike Sypolt, a seventh-grader at Anchor Bay Middle School South.

Casco Township resident Patricia Edwards attended the event with family members in an effort to help out the family who lives in her hometown.

“I think if somebody is in need, someone should step up and help,” Edwards said.

Fundraiser made possible by donations

Everything served at the fundraiser was donated, said Cori LaPlante, whose two children attend Maconce Elementary. provided the spaghetti, and donated the salad, Ellis Machine provided the rolls and butter, Jeremy’s Automotive brought the paper goods and local businesses brought in the raffle baskets.

Several others worked alongside LaPlante to organize the event and solicit donations, she added, giving credit to Maconce PTO members Kim Kuzminski, Holly DeVoll, Teresa Laethem, Lisa Binksler, Jenn Van Campen, Sabina Arnold and Nicole Lewis.

“It just hit home,” LaPlante noted. “It could have been any one of us.”

FOP members donated the lodge to use for the event, as well as soft drinks for guests. New Baltimore Mayor Larry Smith, who also serves as FOP Lodge 112 president, was there to lend support and help serve soft drinks.

“When people are hurting and in time of need, you help,” Smith said. “That’s what you do.”

Anchor Bay High School freshmen Meagan Cyr, of Chesterfield, and Rebecca George, of New Baltimore, came to help prepare salads for guests at the fundraiser.

“We just wanted to help the family,” Cyr said. “It’s really heartbreaking, especially when it’s someone from our town.”

During the fundraiser, .

Donations to the family may be made to Bank of America: Kyle Halcomb Memorial Fund.