Eight years after the tragic death of Paul Walker, family, friends, and fans are continuing to keep the late actor’s memory alive. The Fast & Furious franchise star died on Nov. 30, 2013, at age 40 following a single-car crash, alongside his friend, driver Roger Rodas. Just days after celebrities and fans marked the eighth anniversary of his passing, his brother, Cody Walker, and his Fast & Furious co-star Vin Diesel reunited to pay special tribute.
Cody and Diesel came together on Saturday, Dec. 4 for the annual FuelFest music and automotive festival in Phoenix, Arizona. FuelFest blends automotive enthusiasts’ “passion for the automotive world with live music, racing, and art.” A portion of the proceeds from the festival benefit Reach Out Worldwide, the charity Walker founded, of which Cody now serves as CEO. Diesel was on hand at the annual event to help show his support, the actor even sharing a video to Instagram alongside Cody. Shot at the crowded Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, the clip showed Diesel with his arm around Cody’s neck as he said, “It is such an honor to see the whole car culture being brought together by my brother Cody. I’m so proud of him, and I know my brother Pablo [Paul Walker] is even more proud of him; all love always.”
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In the clip, Cody thanked everybody that showed up, who showed so much support today. Thank you to my family for showing up in a big way. It’s a huge deal.” Walker’s brother also captured the reunion on his own Instagram account, where he shared a photo of himself and Diesel sharing a hug. He captioned the image, “8 years later. Thank you.” In an earlier post, Cody again thanked fans for “coming out,” adding in the accompanying video that “it was such an incredible day.”
Diesel was not the only member of the Fast & Furious franchise to show their support over the weekend. Fellow franchise star Tyrese Gibson also made an appearance during FuelFest. Gibson reshared both Cody and Diesel’s posts in a post of his own that also included a photo of the three of them onstage. He captioned the gallery, “the hug that will be felt around the globe,” explaining that Diesel “jumped on a private plane, on his own dime cause he didn’t want another day to go by without hugging Cody Walker on the very week that we all lost our brother… Vrooooommm whatever it takes we will keep the Paul Walker legacy alive!!!!!!!”
The weekend event came just days after Walker’s daughter, Meadow Walker, shared an emotional tribute of her own as she marked the anniversary of her father’s death. On Instagram, Meadow, who was 15 when Walker died, shared a throwback photo of herself and her father, writing, “I love and miss you endlessly. Today and everyday I celebrate your life, your love. And you, my best friend.”
