Fund For Indiana Pizza Parlor Nears $500K
The initial goal of the Gofundme campaign was to raise $25,000, and the campaign was announced when [Blaze reporter Lawrence] O’Connor appeared on Dana Loesch’s show. Jones said the O’Connor family didn’t ask for the campaign. “The intent was to help the family stave off the burdensome cost of having the media parked out front, activists tearing them down, and no customers coming in,” he wrote. “Our goal was simply to help take one thing off this family’s plate as the strangers sought to destroy them.” “But other strangers came to the rescue and the total just keeps going up.” By midday Eastern time on Thursday, the campaign had raised $133,424 from 4,620 people. Friday morning, the total was $491,976 from 16,620 people. Jones said the campaign will keep going “as long as people are giving.” On Thursday, he had predicted the total could reach $250,000. “This is not an antigay message,” he said. “This is freedom.”On Wednesday an Indiana high school coach was suspended after tweeting a threat to burn down the restaurant. Local police are investigating.
“The Walkerton Police Department is committed to extending professional police services to all in need, regardless of said person’s sexual, religious, or political views,” according to the release. “We encourage all to follow Indiana Laws and Statutes. We ask that all frustrations and rebuttals with Memories Pizza’s recent media statements remain within the law.” Concord Community Schools superintendent Wayne Stubbs confirmed that the district is aware of the situation and [Jess] Dooley has been suspended from her coaching duties pending further investigation.The restaurant's donation page closes today and a financial adviser has reportedly volunteered to help the owners with their windfall.
Labels: Indiana, LGBT rights, restaurants, RFRA
