WESTWOOD, Ky. — A local Christian organization is sponsoring a benefit to raise money for the children of an Ashland, Ky., police officer and his wife who were killed this summer in a motorcycle accident.

The Eastern Kentucky Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will have a spaghetti dinner 4:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Westwood, Ky., Volunteer Fire Department to benefit the children of the late Chuck and Denise Leadingham. Thrivent Financial is a pan-Lutheran organization of which St. Paul Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, in Ashland, Ky., is a member.

Alf Lange, president of the area Thrivent chapter and president of St. Paul Lutheran Church, said members of his church were friends with the Leadinghams and want to show their love and concern for the Leadingham children by having this fundraiser.

“I worked with Denise Leadingham at the prison and Pastor (the Rev. Mark Kloha) knew Chuck pretty well and we wanted to help their children. Every year we at Thrivent try to have a benefit for the community. A few years ago we had a fundraiser for a little girl in Huntington, W.Va., who had medical problems and last year we had a benefit for the Meals and Wheels program at Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital,” Lange said.

Organizers hope to raise $2,500. Thrivent will match that amount up to $2,100.

“We want the kids to know that our thoughts and prayers are with them,” Lange said. “Not that any amount of money will make up for the loss of their parents, but perhaps this will ease their financial burden.”

The Westwood fire station was chosen as a site for the dinner since Leadingham was also a volunteer firefighter for that department.