Locals donate to support Las Vegas police, ‘hero’ shot to death Sunday
Las Vegas Valley businesses have collected tens of thousands of dollars for the families of two police officers and a Wal-Mart shopper slain Sunday in a married couple’s shooting rampage.
And it’s not the only way Clark County locals have shown support. Las Vegas officers have been offered so many free meals the Metropolitan Police Department plans to set up a “condolence wall” for emailed notes of support in lieu of food donations. Government employees aren’t allowed to accept meals as gifts, according to Metro’s public information staff.
Officers Alyn Beck and Igor Soldo were shot to death in a Cici’s Pizza restaurant in the east valley. Joseph Wilcox was killed in a nearby Wal-Mart minutes later.
Jerad and Amanda Miller, who were behind the string of violence, died later that day after a shootout with responding police officers.
Metro asks that letters of condolences and well wishes be sent to pio@lvmpd.com. The letters will be printed and displayed outside of police headquarters at 400 S. Martin Luther King Blvd. Police may leave spaces on the wall for well wishers to pin their own notes.
Monetary donations can be given via the Injured Police Officers Fund at http://www.injuredpoliceofficers.com.
Dunkin Donuts accepted donations for Wilcox’s family on Tuesday at its locations at 10100 S. Eastern Avenue and 6935 N. Durango Drive.
Trauma Intervention Program of Southern Nevada partnered with Mix 94.1 and the doughnut and coffee shops. Program CEO Jill Bernacki described the fundraising efforts as “amazing,” with over $11,000 raised.
“It was nice to do something more for the family and get the entire community involved in it,” Bernacki said. “It was heartwarming to see everyone come together.”
Heather Powell had been looking for a good cause for a week. She had $40 of pay-it-forward cash she found through a social media-fueld scavenger hunt called @HiddenCash.
When she heard about the Dunkin Donuts fundraiser, she knew she had found the right cause.
“This is definitely something that needed as much support as possible,” Powell said.
Breakfast joint Stacks and Yolks, 7150 S. Durango Drive, along with FM X107.5 radio hosts, also showed support Tuesday and the restaurant donated a portion of its day’s proceeds to the officers’ families. Station spokesman Kyle Helmick said nearly $12,000 was raised Tuesday.
The radio station decided the fundraiser was so successful that it would have another on Wednesday, this time to raise money for Wilcox’s family. It will be at Born and Raised bar at Warm Springs and Cimarron roads Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. According to the radio station, 100 percent of Coors Light draft ($3) proceeds will go to the Wilcox family.
Freed’s Bakery, 9815 S. Eastern Ave., will also be raising money for the three families. Its cupcakes will be reduced to $1 each. As of Tuesday afternoon, the bakery reported taking 14,000 pre-orders and will also take walk-in customers on Wednesday.
Contact reporter Annalise Porter at aporter@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0391. Contact reporter Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638. Find him on Twitter: @ColtonLochhead.
