Disbursement Plan Of $10.5M Raised For Stoneman Douglas Victims Announced
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – An outpouring of love in the form of donations came quickly following the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
The official GoFundMe page raised a total of $10.5 million for the victims and their families.
On Monday, the Broward Education Foundation and the Stoneman Douglas Victims' Fund Steering Committee announced just how those funds will be distributed.
Each of the families of the 17 deceased individuals will receive $400,000.
The 18 injured by gunshot will receive a total of $1.63 million.
434 individuals who were present in the 1200 building at the time of the shooting and whose applications were verified will each receive $2,500.
1,048 individuals who were on campus at the time of the shooting but not in the 1200 building and whose applications were verified will each receive $1,000.
"The Stoneman Douglas shooting is the worst tragedy our community has faced. Thanks to the generosity of our community, needed funds will be distributed to the victims and their families. I am personally grateful to the steering committee for their time and dedication to this very serious undertaking. I also want to thank Jeff Dion and the National Compassion Fund for their exceptional guidance," said former U.S. Senator George S. LeMieux, chair of the steering committee, which was responsible for setting the distribution policy for the Stoneman Douglas Victims' Fund.
According to the committee, there were 1,654 applications submitted and of those, 1,517 will receive funding.
Disbursements will be made electronically and are scheduled to begin on July 16.
"The disbursements are gifts from nearly 37,000 caring and generous individuals, companies, organizations and foundations and 100 percent of the funds raised will be distributed to the victims and families," said Christina Fischer, Broward Education Foundation Board Chair. "These gifts are given without any restriction on their use. The families and recipients are in the best position to determine how these funds would be most beneficial to their healing."
Andrew Pollack, who lost his daughter Meadow in the shooting, told CBS4 he will give the money to his sons and Meadow's boyfriend.
"I think it shows the rest of the country that there are good people in the world," Pollack said. "And a lot of people are going to benefit from this money that spread out throughout the families, the victims.
Pollack is spending his days campaigning to replace Broward County's school board.
He told us he could not keep the money.
"I wasn't really concerned about any money, that's not the point," he said. "The concern here, I am going to expose everyone that was incompetent, that led up to my daughter's death. So money means nothing to me at this point."