Fundraiser held for 29-year-old killed by drunk driver

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - A fundraiser was held in memory of 29-year-old Micah Dukes of Albany, who tragically passed away after being hit by a drunk driver in May. The event called Put Up Your Dukes was put on by her father, Rodney, who is continuing on her legacy through celebration and helping out the community.

The gathering took place at the Italian Community Center, where friends, family, and those who knew Micah celebrated her life and are keeping her legacy alive.

"It's a celebration; we're not going to dwell on the sadness; we're going to have a great time and hopefully bring the family together as well," Rodney said.

Micah suddenly lost her life on June 8th of this year after being critically injured by a drunk driver, and according to reports, the driver allegedly plowed into the car Micah's was in and then fled police.

Micah had recently attended SUNY Cortland and graduated from Hudson Valley Community College, according to her obituary.

"Micah was always about a challenge, so trying something new, trying something different, staying active," Rodney said.

Her father said she worked for the state, then the food service industry, had plans to be a nurse, and had never lost her passion for basketball.

"She was a basketball fanatic, so to speak; she just loved sports in general," Rodney said. "She would always go to the Knicks games, things like that, professional games, so she always stayed around the sport as well."

Rodney said the event is also put on in part to support the community. With raffles and donations, the money raised will go to families in need, mainly children who want to attend sports camps and are in need of shoes, uniforms, and money for the programs. The event also brought together Micah's family.

"Some of them haven't seen each other in 15, 20 years, so this is almost like a reunion for a lot of them, and we have a lot of people coming as far as Warren County, Grandville, Whitehall area," Rodney said.

Rodney hopes to do the fundraiser again next year to keep Micah's legacy alive and continue to help out kids in need.