Businesses step up to help those affected in officer-involved shooting
FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — The F-M community is stepping up in a number of ways to help those involved in last week’s south Fargo shooting.
You can support Officers’ Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes, the Wallin family and 25-year-old Karlee Koswick by going to any Bell Bank to donate through the Leadership Care Fund.
“We know that the community understands that this has a significant impact on the officers and their families. So, when there’s that need it’s really cool to see how the community steps up and wants to support and give. Many hands make work light. So, I think that’s kind of the feeling we’re getting here. For us to be a part of that, it’s fantastic,” says Tom Scheid, the Branch Manager at Bell Bank.
U.S. Axe Throwing in Fargo is teaming up with Fargo Billiards and Gastropub for the second year in a row for a televised axe-throwing event starting next Thursday.
This year’s event features a fundraiser and silent auction to help those involved in the shooting.
The bystander that was shot, 25-year-old Karlee Koswick, just moved to the area from Boston to work at U.S. Axe Throwing.
“She is, really, mostly concerned about the police officers but I told her on the phone when we were talking, she’s like, ‘Hey. You don’t have to do this for me. I’m okay. I care about these police officers,’ and I’m like, ‘Okay but what happened to you is also important.’ She has a really long road of recovery ahead of her. We wanted to make sure that she didn’t have to feel like she has to rush back to work or be concerned about her bills right now while she’s just trying to heal,” said Niki Knight, the co-owner at U.S. Axe Throwing.
Knight adds Koswick has already shown some signs of improvement, but her recovery could go on for more than a year and a half.
Sam Bollman of the Leadership Care Fund says workforce safety and medical insurance will be funneled into Officer Dota’s and Officer Hawes’ medical bills.
He adds they’re raising money for anything else the families involved need.
“We don’t want to see anybody left out or left behind. So, we didn’t want to leave it to anyone’s family or friends to have to fundraise for them. We wanted something where we could direct everybody’s efforts to. We’ve got a board that’s going to look at everybody’s needs and be as equitable as possible and help out,” Bollman said.
Click here if you want to donate through the Leadership Care Fund.
