by
Stu Clampitt
Hamilton County Reporter
In the wake of the death of Boone County Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Pickett, one Hamilton County businessman is working to make a difference by setting up a fund to help Pickett’s family.
Peck
Darren Peck, owner and vice president of Indiana Restoration and president of Noblesville Fifty Club from 2010 to 2017, has set up the Deputy Pickett Memorial Fund to help the fallen officer’s family. Peck is also working to help establish a Fifty Club for Boone County.
“We have two objectives,” Peck explained. “One is to receive money for Deputy Pickett’s family; to relieve Sheriff Nielsen of that burden. He has to lay to rest his deputy, so we need to take that burden off of him – collect the money and distribute that to his family at the time and place that’s appropriate.”
Peck has helped set up an account at Key Bank called the Fifty Club of Boone County. People wishing to make contributions to the memorial fund can make checks payable to “Fifty Club of Boone Co.” or “Deputy Pickett Memorial Fund.” According to Peck, you can take money to any KeyBank in Indiana or you can leave it at the Boone County Sheriff’s office.
“Our second objective is to establish this same type of club in Boone County,” Peck said. “While Indianapolis has had a club for 60 years and Noblesville for almost 50, Boone County has never had a Fifty Club.”
Peck was kind enough to give The Reporter a bit of history on the Fifty Club.
“The Hamilton County Fifty Club was started in 1969 by 10 Noblesville businessmen,” Peck told The Reporter. “Our bylaws are pretty specific. It was originally set up to provide a ‘line of duty death benefit’ to Hamilton County sheriff’s deputies, Noblesville policemen, Noblesville firemen and state troopers patrolling Hamilton County. Back in the 50s was when the Indianapolis Hundred Club was formed and into the 60s there wasn’t the type of city, state and federal-provided benefits that they get now. That was the reason these clubs were formed.”
In addition to helping the families of fallen officers, from the day the Fifty Club was formed the members have offered police officers and firemen a place to blow off steam.
“We’ve always had two golf outings a year,” Peck explained. “It’s not a traditional golf outing. It’s just that two firemen or policemen play with two business people, so you get to know the guys. We don’t have tee sponsors or try to raise money. We always have a big dinner after at the Moose Lodge where there are 100 or 150 guys in the room and we’re just cutting up and having a good time. In recent years we’ve added sport shooting. Cabela’s has always been a great sponsor of that.”
Checks payable to “Fifty Club of Boone Co.” or “Deputy Pickett Memorial Fund” may be taken to any KeyBank in Indiana or to the Boone Co. Sheriff’s Department. You can also mail a check to 2 N. 9th St., Noblesville, IN 46060. Peck noted that 100 percent of the money collected will go to Deputy Pickett’s family.