Family donates coats in memory of son killed in crash

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - What happened in the front of the parking lot at WBTV News Tuesday afternoon has this crowd of strangers smiling.

“Been the hardest months you can go through,” Corey Shanks said. “But this moment and today does make us happy.”

”It really has been... overwhelming,” said his wife, Jessica Shanks. “Today is a good day.”

Jessica and Corey Shanks are the parents of 7-year-old Max Shanks. He was killed this past July after prosecutors say an impaired driver hit their family car at 100 miles per hour. Corey was also badly hurt. He is now doing well, as is Jessica and their 4-year-old son, Griffin.

Previous Coverage: Mother of 7-year-old killed in Chester County, S.C. drunk-driving crash releases pictures of lost son

At Max’s celebration of life this past November, Jessica asked everyone to bring a kid’s coat, hat, gloves, or socks as a donation. From that generosity, the Shanks family gathered 124 kids coats... 130 hats... 172 gloves... and 318 pairs of socks.

”We wanted to do that in memory of Max,” Jessica said. “If he can’t be with us in person, we can share his love, his warmth, and just what we feel for him, with others. It’s all about community.”

She reached out to WBTV’s Molly Grantham last week to ask if she could donate them through #MollysKids.

Fast forward to Tuesday...

The Kannapolis Police Department, Kannapolis Fire Department, and Charlotte Rescue Mission all showed up, with open arms and lots of gratitude.

”As a mom myself, I can’t imagine where she is right now, and I can make her one promise,” said Captain Jennifer Clarke with the Kannapolis Police. “That promise is that every one of these coats we give away, we will think about Max, when we do that.”

”I agree,” said Fire Chief Tracy Winecoff, there from the Kannapolis Fire Department. “And we hope that maybe gives this family a little closure to know we were able to do something in his honor.”

Ed Price, the Chief Operating Officer with Charlotte Rescue Mission said the truckload transferred to his pick-up, was heading straight to Dove’s Nest, the women’s and children shelter in West Charlotte.

“We’ll get these coats to kids today,” he said. “Within the hour. Without question. Kids will get to our shelter, home from school today and get to our gift of in-kind people, and they’ll sort it and let them shop.”

Jessica, Corey, and Griffin brought four cars worth of donations... giving warmth to hundreds of other kids, in memory of Max.

”Again, just the support from the community has been overwhelming,” Jessica said. “This is what it’s all about.”

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