RICHMOND, Va. -- A group shared the Christmas spirit with more than a dozen children in honor of a young Richmond girl slain four years ago.
The Village Against Violence held the Amiya Moses Holiday Party Sunday afternoon to hand out toys they have collected over the past few months.
Amiya was 12 years old when she was shot and killed outside her North Richmond apartment in December 2015. The unintended target of gunfire would have turned 16 this month.
Kele Wright, Amiya’s mother, and Shavon Ragsdale run the group in memory of Amiya and other young people lost to gun violence.
“This is very sensitive for her, but it’s just something we want to do,” Ragsdale said. “This is important because we know if she was here today, she would be right here with us giving out the toys… So we just feel as though we have to keep giving back in honor of her.”
Wright and Ragsdale said Amaya had a giving heart her entire life.
“My baby was always giving," Wright said as her eyes filled with tears. "She loved to give."
Ragsdale said events like this one help "turn all the pain we have into a joyous moment."
"Holidays come around, we want to be happy," Ragsdale said.
Wright said seeing the kids pick out presents was a gift in and of itself.
"To be honest, I'm not going to see my baby look this year for Christmas, so seeing other kids, the look on their faces, just being appreciative, it's going to make me feel, maybe a little bit ten times better,” Wright said.
Four men were convicted in connection to Amiya's murder.
