Liz Kirchner
communitynews@ourvalley.org
Eight boats pushed off from the Whitethorne landing into the green river at 6 a.m. last Saturday, and by afternoon, burgers were grilling under pines at Kentland Farm, and smoke and Josh Turner country songs were floating over the picnic tables. It was the second Jeff McCoy Memorial New River Shootout hosted by Duncan Automotive Network.
The event is held to raise funds for the Longshop-McCoy Fire and Rescue in memory of Jeff McCoy, an active volunteer with the squad. McCoy owned Snuffy’s Store, a landmark on Price’s Fork Road in Blacksburg and worked with Duncan Ford Lincoln Mazda as a technician and salesman. McCoy died in the spring of 2016.
“Jeff was an institution,” David Duncan, of Duncan Automotive who, with his brother Gerald, sponsors the annual event said. “A really big part of the community in the Longshop-McCoy Fire and Rescue. He was a great salesperson – a great person.”
Tina McCoy, Jim’s wife in a navy blue Long Shop McCoy Fire and Rescue T-shirt carries on the family tradition dedicating time to the community selling raffle tickets for a table full of Serious Soft missile baits, packs of Taru swivels and Ranger boat caps.
The Duncan brothers presented handsome glass trophies and cash prizes to Isaac Rakes, 24, and Brandon Harris, 25, both of Christiansburg for 5.46 pounds of small-mouth bass.
“We caught a lot of fish and got lucky,” said Brandon. Both recommend fishing to kids.
“Definitely,” Isaac said.
“Everything was under 14”,” Chris Lucas, Deputy Sheriff with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. “Small mouth pass. Typical for a river,” he said. On the river at sunrise, he said the water was perfect,” he said
Brothers Gerald and David Duncan looked forward to next year.
“We’ll have a division for 12 and under,” Gerald said “Get kids outside. Fish, tell stories and enjoy a little fellowship. I want to thank Longshop McCoy Fire and Rescue for everything it does for the community,” he said. “One boat or 50, we can ask, ‘What would Jeff want?’ – Just to go out and have a good time.”
