Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Jim Smith was a 27-year-veteran of the Iowa State Patrol when he was shot and killed during a standoff in Grundy Center on April 9, 2021.

Trooper Ted Benda was 37 when he died. His patrol car crashed on Oct.14, 2021, while enroute to assist the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office with a wanted suspect. He died of his injuries six days later.

The widows and children of Smith and Benda joined the Hamilton County Peace Officers Association and 37 teams of golfers who gathered at Briggs Woods Golf Course on Saturday to pay tribute to the lives lost and raise a little money to help their families go forward.

This year the proceeds of the golf outing will go to the Benda family, whose youngest child was just weeks old when her father died.

-Messenger photo by David Borer
Holly Benda’s family listens to the presenters Saturday at the Hamilton County Peace Officers Association Honor Ceremony. They are, from left, Avery, Vivyan, Holly (holding Sylvia), and Madilyn Benda.

Rod Hicok, a Hamilton County deputy sheriff and president of HCPOA, said this is a tangible way to help a fallen comrade.

“These families are so grateful for what we are doing for them,” he said. “Having them as part of our extended family is probably the most rewarding. Seeing the amount of support our community and our sponsors show for us in these efforts is very humbling as well.”

On Saturday, Smith’s daughter Jazlyn Smith and his widow Kathy Smith accepted tributes to their father and husband.

Holly Benda and her daughters Avery, Vivyan, Madilyn and Sylvia, were honored with similar tributes.

In 10 years, roughly $150,000 has been raised and distributed, Hicok said. In that time, they have helped 10 families.

-Messenger photo by David Borer
Iowa State Patrol Col. Nathan Fulk gives a hug to Sgt. Jim K. Smith's widow Kathy Smith after presenting her and her daughter Jazlyn with an American flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol.

This year, the goal was to raise $25,000.

“Law enforcement,” Hicok said, “is inherently a dangerous job, simply because of the nature of the business we are in.”

He added, “I do this for these families because it is the right thing to do for the right reasons. I am thankful that I have not had to deal with the situation these families are in. They are suffering greatly, and if we can show them that they are not alone and that there are others out there, who they may not even know personally, who are willing to help them in their time of need. We do these events in the year following their tragic loss or event to let them know they are not forgotten.”