A local restaurant has raised over $14,000 for the families of the six victims killed by a motorist during a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, last week.
On Saturday, the Coop, a breakfast restaurant, announced that they would be donating all of the money made from their sales on November 26 to the Waukesha County Community Foundation to help the victims' families.
"We are excited and blessed to announce that with all your help, we were able to raise about $14,600 within 8 hours for the Waukesha County Community Foundation." the restaurant said on Facebook. "This past week, we were able to show the world what being Waukesha Strong truly means. We are proud to be a part of this big family we call Waukesha."
As Christian Headlines previously reported, Darrell Brooks drove his red SUV through dozens of marchers at an annual Christmas parade in Waukesha last Sunday, killing six and injuring at least 60 others. Among the victims who died were an 8-year-old-boy and an 81-year-old man.
Last week, Brooks was charged with five counts of first-degree intentional homicide, with the possibility of life in prison if convicted. His bail was set at $5 million.
On Monday, one of the victims, Tamara Durand, was laid to rest. Durand, 52, was a mother of three and a grandmother to one grandson. As reported by CBN News, she recently joined the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies, a group of grandmothers who were in the parade.
Her husband, Dave Duran, told the Associated Press that she was "an energizer bunny" who ran every morning regardless of what the weather was like. She was also a fan of sweets and would eat "more sugar than a sugar factory," Dave added.
According to her obituary, which also included a 20-minute video tribute, Durand "danced home to Jesus on Sunday, November 21, 2021."
Durand, a former elementary school teacher and cheerleading coach, is remembered for her passion for volunteering. She was also a chaplain for Zilber Family Hospice and Waukesha Memorial Hospital.
Durand held two Master's degrees, one in education and the other in theology. She was planning to complete her doctorate in Theology.
According to Durand's obituary, she was "an organ donor and will continue helping people even after her passing."
Related:
5 Killed, More Than 40 Injured after SUV Plows through Christmas Parade in Wisconsin
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Jim Vondruska/Stringer
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
