NORFOLK, Va. - Roughly 200 people and their Jeeps gathered at a shopping center parking lot off of Military Highway Saturday.
They came to remember one of their own, a fellow Jeep driver – 17-year-old Conner McGrevy, a Virginia Beach teenager who was killed in a car crash near the Outer Banks last month.
"He was everybody's best friend,” Michelle McGrevy, Conner’s mother, said.
A friend and a son -- that's how Michelle and Shannon McGrevy, Conner’s father, remember Conner.
"He was loving, he was caring,” Michelle said. “The kind of kid that if you weren't happy he would let you be happy and change whatever it was."
"The people in yodo kickboxing called Conner, tough as nails and sweet as pie,” Shannon said.
They said Conner had dreams and ambitions. Shannon said Conner wanted to be a C-130 pilot in the Airforce just like his uncle. He was a fan of all things related to the military.
Conner also loved Jeeps. CJ Rodriguez with the local organization Hampton Roads Jeep Family said Conner had a custom-built Jeep he made. It was lost in the crash.
"If you own a Jeep, you know how we all come together,” Rodriguez said.
The Hampton Roads Jeep Family organized this memorial ride. The Jeeps lined up before 10 a.m. to ride in Conner's name.
"It hit us pretty hard. The Jeep community is real tight,” Rodriquez said. “Especially when you have a young ‘Jeeper’ such as Conner."
The ride also helped raise money for a scholarship in Conner's name and would be awarded to a graduating student annually starting next year. Conner attended First Colonial High School.
"He would be crying right now,” Michelle said, when asked how Conner would react if he saw the support. “I know he's up there watching over us."
The scholarship efforts is still accepting donations. If you would like to donate, click here to be taken to the donation page which is hosted through the Southeastern Virginia Community Foundation.
You will see four categories, click on “A Specific Fund.” A drop-down menu will appear. Click on the menu and scroll to “Conner McGervy Memorial Fund Scholarship.” From there you can donate any amount and funds raised will go towards the scholarship.
