HOUSTON, Texas – More than $500,000 has been raised for the family of slain Harris County Deputy Sheriff Darren Goforth by volunteers and donors. Additionally, a New York City foundation has pledged to pay off the family’s home mortgage. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani also donated $10,000 to help pay off the family’s mortgage.
A GoFundMe account was established on August 29th by a close friend of Deputy Goforth, Harris County Deputy Sheriff Brandon Herlong. In the nine days since setting up the account, people have shown support by donating more than $306,176 as of this publication date. 4,362 people have joined in donating to the Texas deputy’s family. Frank Siller, chairman and CEO of Tunnel to Towers, told Click2Houston his organization would also provide additional funding for renovations, if necessary. During the writing of this article, more than $1,000 has been donated.
Since Goforth’s senseless murder, volunteers have manned the Chevron gas station where he was killed. As of Saturday night, volunteers told Breitbart Texas writer Lana Shadwick that they had raised an additional $200,000 for the Texas deputy’s family.
The New York City foundation, Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, pledged to make a donation to pay off the mortgage on the Goforth family home, according to a Click2Houston report. The foundation was established after 9/11 to support the families of first responders killed in the line of duty. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani also pledged $10,000 to help in the effort to assure Mrs. Goforth that she will be financially secure in her home.
“From my years in office comforting the families of fallen first responders, I know that understandably one of their first great concerns, amid the agony of their loss, is the road ahead,” Giuliani told reporters. “Chief among those concerns is: How are we going to pay our bills, how are we going to continue to be able to live in our home? Today, I share in the happiness of the Liu family, who, thanks to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, is now assured that they will be able to live their lives in their newly renovated home.”
“With that in mind and recognizing the suffering that Kathleen Goforth,” the former mayor said, “the wife of slain Houston Deputy Sheriff Darren Goforth, and her family are experiencing right now, I have told the Tunnel to Towers Foundation of my wish to donate $10,000 to their effort to pay off the mortgage on the Goforth home for this widow and her two young children.”
Amy Lasko, one of the organizers and volunteers at the memorial site told Shadwick, “It is amazing that the community has come together in this way to support Deputy Goforth and other law enforcement officers.”
She said that “people of all races, professions, one-percenters, gangsters, black, white, Asian, have come to pay their respects and to thank our officers.”
On the GoFundMe page, people have also spoken out in support of the family.
One donor, Al Noups, wrote, “Mr. Goforth, in this time of senseless tragedy, may God strengthen your family, and all of us that are mourning your loss. To all media outlets: From time to time, please be sure to report on the myriad of great things cops do every day. I’m able to type this message in peace thanks to cops in my township. Imagine only one day without cops . . . Please pray for America.”
Laura Marubio followed by writing, Goforth’s murder “hurts my heart so much to know such a tragedy of such magnitude happened in the middle of our little suburban utopia.”
“Sure, the national media will say it happened in “Houston” – the big city machine,” she continued, “but what we will remember is that such unspeakable violence happened on Telge & West Rd. Near our quiet homes, our schools, to a good man who was a loyal member of our community. He never got a chance to defend himself, he never got to say a word. He was targeted for the clothes on his back, the badge on his chest. He wasn’t at a crime scene, he didn’t have a weapon drawn. He was fueling up his cruiser.”
And Charlene Jones wrote, “To Kathleen Goforth. I never met your husband but my heart aches for him, for you and for your children, I cannot express to you enough how much your loss is felt by those who he served and by those who recognize that he paid the ultimate sacrifice for that service. A selfless act that was diminished by a coward. No words that I can offer can alleviate your pain. I just want you to know that we feel it. We can never know what you are going through but we want you to know that we mourn your loss.”
The comments of support and donations continue to pour in.
Bob Price serves as senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas and a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.