Posted: Tuesday, December 8, 2009
OLYMPIA, WA - Some 20,000 mourners are expected at today's memorial for four murdered Lakewood police officers. Meanwhile, efforts continue to raise enough money to pay for college for all nine of the officers’ children. Correspondent Austin Jenkins reports.
Police officers from as far as away as Boston will attend the memorial for Officers Ronald Owens, Mark Renninger, Tina Griswold and Greg Richards. The event will be held at the Tacoma Dome and is expected to be the largest memorial in state history. Since the shooting deaths of the officers a week ago Sunday, the Lakewood police union has been raising money for the officers’ children. A total of nine kids have lost a parent in this tragedy. Now the College Success Foundation – which provides scholarships and mentoring to low-income youth - has announced it will open guaranteed tuition accounts for each of the nine children. Bob Craves says his foundation along with the help of an anonymous donor will put 25-hundred dollars into each account.
Bob Craves, College Success Foundation: “Whenever there’s such an incredible tragedy that we all kind of push back and say what can we do, because obviously we can do nothing to relieve the grief of these families.”
Craves hopes others will come forward to also contribute.
The memorial for the slain officers will begin with a procession from McChord Air Force Base followed by the service at 1pm today.
Copyright 2009 Northwest News Network
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