Boulder shooting victims’ family fundraiser yields $1.3M in week


Joelean Lambrecht, right, of Broomfield hugs her daughter, Gracie, as they watch the motorcade of law enforcement and first responders Tuesday, March 30, 2021, to honor Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley who was killed in a mass shooting at the Boulder King Soopers March 22, 2021. The motorcade to the funeral at Flatirons Community Church in Lafayette stretched eight miles and lasted nearly two hours.
Christian Murdock, The Gazette
The Colorado Healing Fund reported Tuesday more than 12,000 people have donated a total of more than $1.32 million to help the Boulder grocery store shooting victims’ families.
“The Colorado Healing Fund is extremely grateful to donors throughout Colorado and across the country,” said Board Chair Cynthia Coffman in a statement. “Your generosity made it possible to distribute an incredible amount of funding only one week after the Boulder Supermarket Tragedy.”
Fund officials have already distributed $415,000 to the families of the 10 victims “to support their immediate needs.”
Killed in the March 22 shooting at the Boulder King Soopers on Table Mesa: Denny Stong, 20; Neven Stanisic, 23; Rikki Olds, 25; Tralona Bartkowiak, 49; Teri Leiker, 51; Eric Talley, 51; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62; and Jody Waters, 65.
CHF also made sure survivors “who were directly in the line of fire” received some of that money, including up to $40,000 earmarked for travel money for relatives to come to Colorado.
The money will be used according to the victims’ families’ needs, including memorial services, according to CHF.
“We hope to relieve the financial pressure on victims’ families so they can focus on planning final tributes, telling their loved ones’ stories and celebrating their lives,” according to Coffman’s statement. “In the coming days, the Colorado Healing Fund will announce more disbursements to assist organizations and agencies working on the ground in the Boulder community. We are holding each of you in our hearts.”
In addition to individual donations, King Soopers’ parent company Kroger has pledged $1 million to the fund and the grocery store’s Colorado customers will be able to contribute at the checkout stand through April. Other companies that contributed to the fund include: Instacart; Whole Foods Markeplace; Crocs; AT&T; Altra Running x Jack Rabbit; The John Legere Family Foundation; Thrivent Choice; Shake Shack; SunCor Energy; Synergy Family Foundation; El Pomar Foundation; Wells Fargo; Comcast; Denver7; Bobo’s Baked Goods; Kroenke Sports; The Melting Pot and others.
Those interested in donating can visit the organization’s website coloradohealingfund.org or text “COLORADO” TO 20222 to donate $20.
The CHF was formed in 2018 by victim advocates and community leaders, according to its website. The non-profit organization, started with a grant from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, is “a secure way for the public to contribute to victims of mass casualty crimes in Colorado.”