BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Tops Friendly Markets and the National Compassion Fund announced the establishment of the "Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund" in response to the mass shooting that occurred the Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Avenue on May 14.
According to a release, 100% of the contributions donated to the fund will go directly to families of those deceased, those injured and those who were present in the store and experienced psychological trauma.
Tops announced it has added $500,000 to the fund to get it started.
“What happened was ruthless and heartbreaking. Those that lost their lives will forever be in our hearts and will never be forgotten. Tops is committed to supporting those families affected and to help the community grieve and heal from this tragic event. We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and we thank everyone for their incredible kindness.
You can make an online donation here or make a donation at any Tops location in person. For further information, including on writing a check or transferring funds electronically, you can click here.
Tops said it is organizing a local Steering Committee of community and business leaders to establish the eligibility and distribution policies for the fund and additional details will be provided in the coming weeks. The fund will be managed and operated by the National Compassion Fund.
On May 25, the co-chairs of the steering committee were announced as Reverend Mark Blue, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Lackawanna and President of the Buffalo NAACP and Paul Vukelic, President and CEO of Try-It Distributing. The other members will be named in the coming weeks.
"Our hearts go out to the entire Buffalo community. We are honored to join forces with Tops Friendly Markets, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, and VictimsFirst to increase charitable giving and help meet the overwhelming needs of the survivors of this atrocity. We stand in solidarity with all those impacted by gun violence.”
You can find other ways you can help those impacted by the mass shooting here.
