Cody Sossamon, publisher of The Gaffney Ledger, presents an envelope containing $4,088 to John Fowlkes and other members of the Broad River Leathernecks Detachment of the Marine Corps League on Friday. The money, which will go to the Lance Cpl. Christopher Fowlkes Memorial Scholarship Fund, represented all of the donations The Gaffney Ledger received from local residents and businesses who added their names to a special section of the newspaper that honored the memory and sacrifice of the young Marine. Pictured are (left to right) Broad River Leathernecks Commandant Frank Sossamon, Broad River Leathernecks Judge Advocate General John Fowlkes, Cody Sossamon, and Broad River Leathernecks Sr. Vice Commandant Darrell Carpenter. A scholarship fund started recently to honor the sacrifice and memory of Lance Cpl. Christopher Fowlkes got off to a very good start last week.

On Thursday night at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Gaffney, members of the Broad River Leathernecks Detachment of the Marine Corps League, who will oversee the memorial scholarship fund, were presented with about $1,500 in cash that had been collected by VFW members and volunteers during the recent homecoming and funeral procession for the young Marine.

On Friday, outside The Gaffney Ledger, members of the Broad River Leathernecks were presented with all the donations raised through a special section that ran recently in The Gaffney Ledger, through which local residents and businesses were able to honor Fowlkes’ memory. The special section raised an additional $4,088 in donations for the scholarship fund.

“We’ve been overwhelmed with everything the community has done for us,” said John Fowlkes, the grandfather of Lance Cpl. Christopher Fowlkes and Judge Advocate General of the Broad River Leathernecks.

From the very moment Christopher was brought back to Gaffney, the grandfather said, “We saw people crying, hands on their hearts. It was tremendous.”

Frank Sossamon, commandant of the Broad River Leathernecks, said the criteria for the Lance Cpl. Christopher Fowlkes Memorial Scholarship still are being formulated. Fundraising for the scholarship will be ongoing.

The Broad River Leathernecks, which participates in numerous charitable endeavors such as the Wounded Warriors Project and Toys for Tots, will be holding a yard sale Oct. 17 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2332 Union Highway, the former site of Cherokee Outfitters. Donation of items to the yard sale are welcome. John Fowlkes can be reached at (864) 489-6636 to arrange pickup.

Cody Sossamon, publisher of The Gaffney Ledger, offered his appreciation to all the residents and businesses that contributed to the scholarship fund through the newspaper.

“We were honored and privileged to help in this project and special thanks go out to each and everyone who helped honor the life and sacrifice of a great young man and U.S. Marine,” he said.

Lance Cpl. Fowlkes died Sept. 10 from injuries he suffered in the Helmand province in Afghanistan when a roadside bomb exploded. Two other servicemen, including another U.S. Marine and a U.S. Navy corpsman, were killed in the blast. Two additional servicemen were critically injured.

Fowlkes was in the middle of his second overseas deployment.

Thousands of Upstate residents lined the roads when Fowlkes was brought home and, later, when he was laid to rest at Frederick Memorial Gardens.