The family of Aronde Odom held a birthday party to celebrate what would have been his 31st birthday next week.
Odom was walking his bike across a street in Springfield, Massachusetts, last March, when a driver hit and killed him. Odom’s loved ones say it was a sudden and tragic night.
“It was horrible. It was the worst day for everyone,” Odom’s girlfriend Alayna Anderson said. “It still doesn’t feel real. It’s not getting any easier.”
The past few months have been tough, as family says the 30-year-old was beloved and the life of the party wherever he went.
“His smile lit up any room he walked into,” Anderson said.
Family and friends of Odom say around 100 people showed up Saturday to support the cause. They had food, music, and games for the kids. An event like this helps those closest to Odom grieve and see the support of the community.
“It brings all the love together,” Odom’s brother Brandon Rose said. “There’s different people from different aspects of his life. Different times of his life. Figured I’d have the strength to keep my brother’s spirit alive.”
The driver who hit Odom has been charged. Boston 25 is working to find out where the case stands in court.
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