FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — The ashes of a father have been reunited with his daughter after the diligent efforts of two Fayetteville officers and help from the Fayetteville Police Foundation.

On May 8, Officer Mooney and his trainee, Officer Voldarski, responded to a call for service at a car wash on Camden Road because an employee had found a box of ashes.

Car wash employees had been unable to find anyone to contact for more than two months, so they called the police department. Officers saw a name on the box of ashes identifying them as Ronald Hunter.

“We were able to use our resources to locate the family,” Voldarski said.

Mooney and Voldarski contacted Hunter’s daughter, Dashem Hunter.

“My sister took care of dad’s ashes, and I had mom,” Hunter said.

She wanted to make sure her dad came back to her and offered to pay for officers to ship his ashes.

Mooney and Voldarski did not want her to have to do that. They reached out to their sergeant who called the Fayetteville Police Foundation.

“We always tell officers, ‘just ask,’” said Cindy McCormic, the board president for the Fayetteville Police Foundation. “Of course, we said yes.”

Officer Mooney called Hunter and told her the foundation would be paying for shipping. She received her father’s ashes on May 11, police said.

Hunter expressed her gratitude to Mooney and Voldarski for giving her this gift. She recognized that officers aren’t able to accept gifts in return, but she’s hopeful they’ll accept her thank you note.

“You can’t tell me I can’t give you something after what you’ve given me,” Hunter said.