DALLAS (WGNO) – Fourteen Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s deputies traveled to Dallas this week to present $25,000 to assist officers killed or injured in the line of duty.
The other $25,000 raised will go to help three officers in Baton Rouge who were injured in a shooting July 17 and the families of three officers who were killed.
Four Dallas Police officers and a Dallas Area Rapid Transit Officer were killed July 7 when a sniper opened fire downtown after a Black Lives Matter protest. Six other police officers were shot and injured.
Officers, firefighters and other first responders from Lafourche Parish teamed up to hold “can shake” fundraisers throughout the parish on Saturday, July 16. Those can shakes, along with private donations and an employee fundraiser at the sheriff’s office, raised $50,000.
Deputies also gave two St. Michael statues and other gifts to the Dallas Police Department.
Dallas Police Chief David Brown thanked the sheriff’s office on his Twitter page.
“Obviously, this effort was conceived and geared to go to Dallas officers, but within 24 hours of the unbelievable outpouring of support from our citizens, we had another tragic incident where three more officers were assassinated,” said Sheriff Craig Webre. “This time, it was closer to home in Baton Rouge. Due to the unbelievable success and funds raised beyond our expectations, we felt it was prudent to provide financial assistance to officers in both areas.”
During the can shake, donors who gave $10 or more were thanked with a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts. There were 1,000 dozen, or a total of 12,000 donuts, given away during the event. Additionally, all who donated received a blue ribbon and a novelty “Get Out of Jail, Free” card which, on the back, expressed gratitude for the donation and websites on which further donations could be made directly.
