The Shadow
Ray Keen, Jr., president of the Douthat Speed Group (DSG) who holds the rank of corporal in the jail division of the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Department, became active with DSG as a teenager.
Keen recalled, “When I was 16 or 17 years old, I got involved with the Douthat Speed Group.”
He served as the nonprofit organization’s vice-president before being elected president.
Keen, the son of the late Ray Keen, Sr. and Kathy Keen who works as a bookkeeper for the Jackson River Credit Union, graduated from Alleghany High School in 2003.
After earning his associate’s degree in criminal justice and a certificate in law enforcement from Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, Ray was hired by Alleghany County Sheriff Dale Muterspaugh on June 1, 2005.
Ray’s first position in law enforcement was bailiff, and currently he is in charge of work crews and transportation.
Ray noted, “What our Douthat Speed Group actually does is raise money for the park.”
Founded by David Arritt and David Pack more than two decades ago, Douthat Speed Group conducts three major events at Douthat State Park each year: Kid’s Fishing Day, March; Douthat Lake Run Car Show, May; and Camp Site Cook Off Octoberfest.
Ray stated, “In the past, we raised funds and built the deck on the back of the restaurant overlooking the lake.”
He continued, “We also purchased an ATV to assist in search and rescue at the park.”
“We helped fund the remodeling of the front office too,” Ray recalled.
He concluded, “Currently, we are raising funds to assist in the development of Green Pastures.”
The Camp Site Cook Off Octoberfest will resume in October following two years of cancellations due to COVID-19 restrictions. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, 21 teams from Virginia and other states competed in Octoberfest to determine which team prepared the best chili.
