Millions Raised for Children Who Lost Mother in Uvalde Shooting, Father Shortly After
A GoFundMe that was set up for the four children who lost their mother, teacher Irma Garcia, in the Uvalde elementary school shooting has raised millions of dollars in just a few days. Only days after Garcia died in the horrific shooting which took over 20 lives, her husband Joe passed away from a heart attack.
As of Friday afternoon, the page has raised nearly $2.3 million. According to the page, it was set up by Garcia’s cousin, Debra Austin.
“She loved her classroom kids and died trying to protect them,” Austin wrote about her cousin. “Please donate anything you can to help her family. 100% of the proceeds will go to the Garcia family for various expenses. Thank you and God bless.”
The page was set up on Wednesday and got a major boost from social media shares, including from Bill Pulte, CEO of Pulte Capitol, who tweeted it out to his three million-plus followers.
Teammates of Twitter Philanthropy Help Raise $1.9 Million (now $2.125 Million) in 72 hours for Family of Slain Texas Teacher
THANK YOU TEAM FROM THE PULTE FAMILY ! https://t.co/broa8THCXM pic.twitter.com/4Lyz48CRQ1
— Pulte (@pulte) May 27, 2022
The initial goal for the fundraiser was $10,000. Garcia’s nephew, John Martinez, expressed gratitude for the support after the page jumped over its initial goal.
“Please know, and let people know on behalf of the family, I’m more than grateful and elated at the overwhelming love and support, whether it be the kind words, the donations or even just spreading the word, it means a lot to us,” he told the Detroit Free Press this week.
GoFundMe has a specific page set up to raising funds for victims of the Uvalde shooting, which includes a list of verified accounts people to which people can donate.
Among the fundraising pages are one for Miah Cerillo, who described her experiences while in the classroom the gunman barricaded himself in. She described covering herself in blood and playing dead while police waited outside to breach the room. She now has trouble speaking to men and is dealing with other issues from the shooting that will require therapy. That effort has raised more than $220,000.
Other efforts include raising funds for parents who have lost children, as well as students injured in the shooting who require surgeries. Jennifer Olivarez is a nine-year-old who was shot in the left shoulder by the gunman and has bullet fragments on her tailbone and right leg, according to her aunt who set up the page. She will require several surgeries. That account has raised a little more than $68,000.
There are numerous other accounts, all from family members and victims who are dealing with both the mental and physical aftermath of the shooting. There are tragically 21 pages, as of this writing. To donate, all verified pages are listed here.
