Wilmington Officers pose with the One Tree Hill cast members
The Wilmington Police Recreation Association once again teamed up with the cast of One Tree Hill to raise money for a memorial wall to be built honoring the region's fallen police officers.
One Tree Hill actors James Lafferty, Shantel VanSanten, Robert Buckley, Cullen Moss, Jackson Brundage, Vaughan Wilson, and Mitch Ryan all signed autographs and took photographs Saturday with fans for donations towards the memorial.
“I think it's great that the community wants to memorialize the fallen officers”, said Lafferty on why he volunteered to be a part of the event. “I wanted to support that and come out here and help them out”, he said.
The fund-raiser was held this past weekend marking the one year anniversary of the line-of-duty-death Officer Richard Matthews, who often worked with the cast and crew of One Tree Hill.
James Lafferty and Shantel VanSanten smiling for fans
Being the newest additions to the show, Buckley and VanSanten never had the chance to know Matthews, yet they insisted it was still important for them to take part in helping to honor his work and all of those who put their lives on the line.
“For me it's always been important to give back”, said VanSanten. “I actually work with a few different charities in LA as well, but it's cool to be able to support local stuff”, she said. Co-star Buckley couldn't agree more about the importance of being involved in raising money to help build the memorial “ We've lost someone who's very close to the show in the line of duty”, he said. “It will be great for the town of Wilmington's police force ... I mean let's be honest two hours on a Saturday I could spend it probably killing time being selfish watching television, or doing a good cause, so thats the wise choice definitely!”, Buckley said.
One Tree Hill's Cullen Moss and Jackson Brundage
The 'Celebrity Auto-graph Fund-raiser', which was held at the city's local Wal-Mart, was organized by Lt. Warren Kennedy and Lt. Kathy Cochran of The Wilmington Police Department.
Fans came from near and far to meet their favorite stars and help support the memorial wall. One group even came all the way from Paris specifically for the event.
The fans are what VanSanten says make her part in the fund-raiser even more special. “To be able to come here and also meet fans, you get to show them that we appreciate all the support that they give us and it's also for a good cause, for the memorial here”, said VanSanten, who seemed to spark a conversation with almost every fan she met, making the experience memorable for those who drove hours to meet her.
For the past seven years One Tree Hill has been a major influence on 
the city of Wilmington. Not only does it employ a large number of local employees, but Wilmington has become a major tourist destination among fans, bringing great business to the city.
Lafferty, who has been a part of the show since day one, said he believes the dedication himself and his co-stars have brought to the show is what has led the show to reach the success it has, and he says it's work ethic he has learned the most about on his journey with One Tree Hill. “I've just learned a lot about professionalism... getting the job done and doing it right.”, said Lafferty. “I think that's what's everybody's learned and that's why we've come this far”.
To donate to the Officer Down Memorial Project, visit the official website of the Wilmington Police Recreation Association.
To see photos and coverage from the first 'Celebrity Auto-graph Fund-raiser'-click here.
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