Martial arts studio offers day camp to allow parents to pay respects to fallen trooper

The community continues to step up to support the family of a fallen state trooper. Family and friends will come together Tuesday for the calling hours of Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier. He lost his life in a hit-and-run during a traffic stop on I-84 last Thursday.

In Southington, tributes are pouring in including an act of kindness from one business in town.

The memorial outside of the Della Vecchia Funeral Home just keeps growing with flowers and balloons showing the swell of support from so many whose lives were touched by TFC Pelletier.

Now, a martial arts business in the area wants to make sure everyone invited to the calling hours can go and pay their respects.

As young athletes practice martial arts, on the studio wall a photo honors TFC Pelletier and his family.

“We have a personal connection with Mr. Pelletier and his family. His son, Troy, attends classes here,” Rick Griffin, Leadership Martial Arts owner, said. “One thing about Leadership Martial Arts is I've always said, and I believe it truly is, that we're a family. So we take care of our own.

Owner Rick Griffin is taking care of his chosen family now.

On Tuesday, all Southington schools will be closed for TFC Pelletier’s calling hours. So Leadership Martial Arts is offering a special all-day camp, providing child care for kids ages 5 to 12.

“Just do a free day for anyone that can use it and benefit from it, to be able to not have to choose between paying their respects or watching their kids,” Griffin said.

One mom is registering her five-year-old in the camp.

“It's just such a tough time and sad time, to be honest,” said Johanna Cestero, of Wolcott. “So I think just to be able to see the support of the community and coming all together and showing love and support and care. It's amazing.”

It's thanks to the efforts of one dad to help the family of another father.

“Our sons being the same age. I can't imagine the tragic heartbreak that the family feels and the years growing up, you know, without that, without having dad,” Griffin said. “So my heart just really breaks for them and I want to do everything we can in our power to help them out.”

New photos from the Pelletier family give a glimpse of the 34-year-old as a husband and dad of two. They show him kissing his wife, balancing one baby in each arm, and teaching his son how to play baseball.

On Sunday, TFC Pelletier’s son Troy honored his dad on the diamond, throwing the first pitch at the Yard Goats game, alongside his brother, Zach, and his mom, Dominque.

“Some of my friends know him because he was a baseball coach, and some of my friends’ little brothers and sisters are on his team,” Giovanni Grandetti, of Southington.

Nine-year-old Grandetti is one of dozens to pay solemn respects at the growing memorial in Southington. With tears, and reflection, a community comes together to grieve.

“We just kind of wanted to come pay our respects,” said Susan Koski, of Southington. “It's been a tough couple of days for the whole town, and we felt like we wanted to bring our boys to honor him and his family.”

Parents who want to sign up their children for the free day camp at Leadership Martial Arts should reserve a spot and sign a waiver in advance using this online link. The camp can accommodate about 50 children.