PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The Dynamic New Force Steppers Drill Team marches to the beat of their own drums.
The drill team, which Darleen Walker founded back in 1995, is made up of nearly 100 dancers and drummers.
Walker said it was the late Cedric Huntley who offered to let the drill team practice at the South Providence Recreation Center, where he worked for 20 years as a site director.
That’s why it was a no-brainer when the Nonviolence Institute asked the drill team to partake in a celebration honoring Huntley’s legacy.
“He was a great guy,” Walker said. “He was someone we could go to and look to for answers.”
Huntley, who served as the executive director of the Nonviolence Institute for three years, passed away last month. He’s been revered as a staunch advocate for peace and nonviolence in the capital city.
The drill team marched from the recreation center to the Nonviolence Institute on what would’ve been Huntley’s 66th birthday.
“He wouldn’t be surprised. He knew the team’s potential,” Walker said when asked what Huntley would’ve thought of the drill team’s march.
The march culminated with a celebration of life outside of the Nonviolence Institute, where dozens gathered to mark the city’s first-ever “Mr. Ced Day.”
Huntley’s wife, Anika Kimble-Huntley, was overwhelmed by the turnout.
“I think he would be proud to see all of the lives that he’s touched,” she said.
Kimble-Huntley told 12 News her husband was instrumental in propelling the drill team to new heights.
“Look at how big they’ve grown and expanded since the 90s,” Kimble-Huntley said. “It’s a testament to their belief in him and his belief in them.”
“It was heartwarming and I found it to be very spiritual,” she added, referring to the drill’s team’s tribute to her husband.
Walker took the time to approach Huntley’s family after the march to express her gratitude.
“He opened that gym to us for 15 years,” she said as she hugged Huntley’s sister. “I hope we made you proud.”
“It was a wave of emotions,” Huntley’s sister said. “He believed in community, it was very important to him.”
Kimble-Huntley, who described her husband as “a peacemaker and a problem solver,” has no doubt that his legacy will live on.
“Everything that everybody is saying about him is true,” Kimble-Huntley said. “He was very giving and never asked for anything in return. If he did ask for something it return, it was for somebody else. He literally lived his life that way.”
“He knew everybody, connected everybody and kept everybody together,” she concluded. “That’s how I want everyone to remember him.”
Johnny Villella contributed to this report.