FORTVILLE — Communities across central Indiana are honoring Hailey Buzbee and rallying behind her family after her remains were found in Ohio on Sunday following her disappearance.
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Downtown Fortville is no exception.
Buzbee worked at The Kitchen on Main in downtown Fortville. Local businesses are honoring Buzbee while also raising awareness about online safety.
Things look different at The Kitchen on Main, where pink ribbons now line the restaurant and nearby light poles.
“We've passed out hundreds and hundreds of ribbons,” said owner Jason Ratliff.
Each ribbon shows support for Hailey Buzbee, who worked at the downtown Fortville restaurant for nearly a year and a half.
“I just wanted to pay my respects to Hailey Buzbee and the Buzbee family,” said customer Alice Clouse.
Ratliff said Hailey's loss has been deeply felt by the community and the business.
“Haley had a big part of her presence here in Fortville,” Ratliff said. “We closed early once we got the news of this and uh you know just frankly, uh, we're kind of going day by day.”
Buzbee’s death has sparked an effort by Ratliff and others to honor her memory.
“She was very very smart, very sweet, very kind,” Ratliff said. “This is something that you know we're doing in honor of Hailey and her family.”
Nearly every business in downtown Fortville has joined in, displaying pink ribbons as a sign of solidarity.
“Last summer, I got to know Hailey just a little bit. She came in either before or after her shifts,” said Erin Huff, an employee at Black Sheep Gifts. “We are joining forces with other businesses here in Fortville, showing our support.”
The support extends beyond Fortville.
In McCordsville, Tim’s Bakery has sold out of pink ribbon donuts made in Buzbee’s honor.
Similar gestures have appeared across central Indiana, from Fishers to Brownsburg and beyond.
“It's bringing a lot of people together,” Ratliff said.
The pink ribbons also represent a larger goal.
“It's in support of Haley's law, which is proposed legislation in school about educating kids in school on grooming and predators and also to get alerts out,” Ratliff said.
Something that he believes is especially important when kids are online.
Hailey’s Law would also create a “Pink Alert” system for missing people who do not meet the criteria for Amber or Silver Alerts but disappear under concerning circumstances.
The petition started by Hailey's family already has over 91,000 signatures.
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Naja Woods is the In Your Community senior reporter for Lawrence/Hancock counties. She started her journalism career in 2019 after graduating from Knox College in Illinois. She’s always looking forward to making a difference by empowering the diverse communities throughout the area and helping share their unique perspectives through storytelling. Share your story ideas and important issues with Naja by emailing news@wrtv.com.
